


You can hear it in the silence

by Yuneyn



Series: This love is ours [1]
Category: 30歳まで童貞だと魔法使いになれるらしい | Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! (TV)
Genre: Adachi's anxiety, Cuddling, Except they take things slow, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, Kurosawa being the perfect boyfriend, M/M, Rated M for chapter 5, You've been warned, all the feels, like lots of fluff, mostly canon-compliant, office flirting, they're just so in love I can't
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:22:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28456764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yuneyn/pseuds/Yuneyn
Summary: "Adachi looked away, fighting the urge to hide his face in his hands. 'How does he just… say these things.' Still, it was such a nice thought… That they didn’t have to adhere to some sort of “universal” relationship rules… That they could make their own rules, and just take their time. “Let’s enjoy every new experience,” Kurosawa had said once, and that was what he was offering here again."Or, the one where Adachi doesn't immediately lose his magic after the fireworks, but instead they continue taking things slow.
Relationships: Adachi Kiyoshi/Kurosawa Yuichi
Series: This love is ours [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2192364
Comments: 274
Kudos: 508
Collections: Cherry Magic - 31 Days of Prompts Can Turn you into a Wizard!





	1. Why don't we make our own eternity?

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone and happy new year!!
> 
> My last stories of 2020 were some of the most angsty stuff I had ever written, and I had thought I would finish the year in that (super nice) state of mind but then... Alice in Borderland showed up on my Netflix, and I LOVED it so much, and while looking up the tag in Tumblr I kept seeing people mentioning Cherry Magic. Now, I'm always wary of BL because there are many tropes I don't like, but eventually I got curious and...
> 
> Well. I did not end 2020 entirely depressed and drowning in my anxiety. I spent the last 2 weeks pretty much constantly smiling like a complete idiot. But if you're here, you've certainly watched the drama, so you _know_. So, after ending 2020 with angst fics, I decided to start 2021 with a mountain of fluff, worthy of my former fluffy Promptis days (actually it might be even fluffier, god what is this show?) I hope you guys will enjoy!
> 
> This fic came to me after the last episode - evidently - and while I am honestly super satisfied with it, I started wondering whether they had actually had sex that first night, or if there was a short time skip between the scene where they wake up together and Adachi saying he's lost his magic. After all, we see Tsuge has released his new novel inspired by Minato... that probably wasn't on December 25th. So, I decided to explore that idea, of them still taking things slow physically, because 1- it's sweet, and 2- it will give me the opportunity to write Kurosawa abusing the magic to flirt in the office. 
> 
> Anyway, that's all for my usual overly long ramblings. Again I hope you will like this story! 
> 
> Huge thanks to [call_me_origami](https://archiveofourown.org/users/call_me_origami/pseuds/call_me_origami) for checking out this story and letting me know it was fine to post!! (Adachi isn't the only one with anxiety haha - and since I was running on like 4 hours of sleep a night when I was writing... posting this is a bit more nerve-wracking than usual)

Being back at Kurosawa’s place felt surreal. Adachi couldn’t stop thinking about the last time he had been there… The way he had left then, his heart heavy with heartbreak and his eyes burning with tears.

_How things have changed._

Well, not that this night hadn’t also seen its fair share of tears, but this time the burning had almost been a welcome feeling, anchoring him to reality and confirming that it wasn't all a dream. Honestly, though, part of him was still having a hard time believing everything that had just happened. It was incredible enough that he had somehow managed to pour his heart out and own up to what he truly wanted, and that Kurosawa had accepted him no matter what, in spite of how much Adachi must have hurt him. But what truly sent his mind reeling was the memory of Kurosawa kneeling down in front of him with that promise of forever, the soft weight of it he could now feel pressed against his heart, where it was secured in his coat’s breast pocket. 

It was insane, wasn’t it? Even with how inexperienced he was in relationships, Adachi was certain people usually didn’t make this kind of vow after dating for barely a few months. Normally, he should be freaking out, and yet… Yet he truly wasn’t. Just like he also hadn’t panicked when Kurosawa had been looking up at him earlier, waiting for his response, eyes filled with hope and a hint of apprehension. Because somehow, no matter how crazy it might seem, the idea of always having Kurosawa at his side felt so _right,_ so calming and safe, especially after the inner turmoil he had felt these past few days. 

He never wanted to feel that way ever again. Although at times nerve-wracking, Kurosawa’s presence in his life had somehow become natural - so much that Adachi hadn’t been prepared for how terribly empty everything would feel once they weren’t talking, laughing, or even just looking at each other anymore. 

“Everything alright?”

Adachi blinked, Kurosawa’s voice taking him out of his thoughts. He realized he was still standing in front of the door to Kurosawa’s apartment, staring blankly ahead. 

“Hm, yes,” he said, nodding quickly. “It’s just. A lot has happened.” 

Kurosawa responded with one of his blinding smiles, but then stopped on the doorstep, seemingly hesitant. “Actually, maybe you should wait here for a minute. It’s kind of a mess inside.”

Adachi gave him a dubious look. “You said that the very first time I came over, and it was excessively clean.”

“Ah, well,” Kurosawa said with a quiet, nervous chuckle. “We were just colleagues, and we barely even talked to each other back then. I was merely being polite. Now, though… I mean, these past few days I haven’t really…” He trailed off, glancing away.

“Oh,” Adachi said quietly, cluing in on what Kurosawa meant. An image of his own neglected apartment came to mind and he looked down, biting his lip. _It was my fault._

Kurosawa must have picked up on the way his mood shifted though, because the man immediately backtracked. “Adachi, it’s fine,” he said gently, and when Adachi looked back up there was only understanding in Kurosawa’s eyes. “We’re here now, right? That’s what matters.”

“I swear sometimes I feel like it’s you who can read my mind,” Adachi said with a small smile. 

“I wish,” Kurosawa replied wholeheartedly, reaching out to lay his hand on Adachi’s arm. “ _I wish you could be my first in everything, too.”_

Adachi’s eyes widened as he frantically tried to find something, anything to say to that, until he realized that Kurosawa had that mischievous glint in his eyes. “Not fair,” he said, half-pouting, half-trying not to smile. “You don’t get to use the magic like that.”

Kurosawa removed his hand, chuckling. “Sorry,” he said, sounding absolutely not apologetic. “I do mean it, I suppose. But it’s like I told you once, I’m so happy to be all of your firsts.”

Considering everything that had happened earlier, Adachi didn’t think he could still feel that flustered - yet it seemed that when it came to Kurosawa he should always be prepared. That man somehow _always_ found a way to say something that would affect him - not that he _truly_ minded. It was a comforting thought, after all, but he... He just was always at a loss as to what to say in those moments. 

Eventually, Adachi nervously rubbed the back of his head, his eyes glancing rapidly between Kurosawa and the wall behind him. “Well, anyway, I don’t mind if your apartment is a mess. Mine is probably worse. And besides, I told you didn’t I? If it’s just you and me… You don’t need to try as hard.” Kurosawa’s eyes softened then, a familiar awed expression in them. Adachi had seen it enough times by now that he didn’t need to touch him to know what it meant. _I guess... I am also able to read him without using the magic sometimes._

“Alright. Come in, then,” Kurosawa said softly, gesturing him in. 

* * *

Of course it wasn’t even _that_ messy inside Kurosawa’s place, but Adachi decided against mentioning it and simply helped him tidy up. He hadn’t realized how cold he was actually feeling until Kurosawa pointed out that he was shivering - the stress and excitement of the night had apparently carried him up until then - so he was grateful when Kurosawa offered to let him use the bath first.

The warm water felt wonderful after standing outside in the cold for so long, and also pedalling for what definitely seemed like _hours_ across the city - _how did some people do this for fun?_ \- however finding himself alone with his thoughts didn’t necessarily help calm his nerves. 

_What now?_

That was indeed the main question. He _did_ say he was fine parting with the magic, that he wasn’t afraid of not being able to read Kurosawa’s thoughts anymore, and he _did_ mean it, but… That meant…

_Are we really… Tonight? Now?_

Adachi squeezed his eyes shut and disappeared under the water. Technically, he’d thought about it. It wasn’t that he was _opposed_ to it. It was just… A lot. Like with everything, he supposed. After all, at first, he had always used to jump whenever Kurosawa would whisper too close to him, or hug him without warning - but it had stopped once he had gotten used to it. So it would likely be the same for anything new they would do. Besides, Kurosawa was always so considerate, he would never push him if he wasn’t sure Adachi was comfortable…

_Kurosawa…_

Images flashed behind Adachi’s closed eyelids, some resulting from what he’d seen when accidentally witnessing Kurosawa’s fantasies, others being the product of his own mind. There were lips slowly kissing down his neck, fingers fumbling with clothes, hands seeking more skin, and then his head would fall back on the pillows and he would— They would—

Gasping for air, his heart racing, Adachi emerged from the water and took a few deep breaths, hoping to stave off the panic he could feel rising inside his chest. Sex - as a concept - was alright. He understood it - the attraction, the desire to act on it. After all, he would be lying if he said that, ever since they had started dating, he had never caught himself staring at Kurosawa and mulling over how unfairly handsome the man was. But every time he started to really _think_ about it, to picture what it would look like from the outside, it just felt…

Embarrassing. 

Letting the back of his head hit the wall, Adachi chuckled wryly. _What’s embarrassing is how much it freaks me out._ He sighed deeply, knowing that his anxieties wouldn’t go away on their own. Reasonably, considering this was about his relationship with Kurosawa, he knew there was one thing he should be doing. 

_Talk to him._

With a quiet groan, Adachi slid back down further into the tub. Some things would be a lot easier if Kurosawa was also able to read his mind. In any case, he knew he couldn’t just stay in here the entire night, so after spending a few more moments gathering his courage, he managed to get out of the tub.

As he stepped back inside the living room, wearing a simple t-shirt and sweatpants he’d earlier grabbed from Kurosawa’s closet, his fears immediately vanished. Kurosawa was standing there, visibly nervous, next to the futon he had installed for Adachi.

Seriously, this man. How did he _always_ seem to know? Could it just be that he truly was _that_ considerate? Could someone like that actually exist?

After a few moments of Adachi saying nothing and merely staring ahead with a bewildered expression, Kurosawa cleared his throat and gave him a small smile. “I wasn’t sure… I know we talked about you losing your power, but it doesn’t have to be tonight. We can still take things slow.”

Adachi wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or cry - it seemed to be quite the recurring feeling that night. How could he be so lucky as to have someone care so much about him? A sound halfway between a chuckle and a sob escaped him and he smiled brightly at Kurosawa. “Thank you,” he replied, then took another breath to gather himself. “Although _slow_ might be all relative, considering you were down on one knee like an hour ago,” he added, laughing softly.

Kurosawa laughed as well and took a few steps towards him, staring into his eyes in that way that made Adachi feel like he was trying to see through his soul. “The way I look at it… I just want to be with you. And now, we have forever to take things however fast or slow we want.” He raised one hand, brushing Adachi’s cheek with his knuckles just long enough to share one thought. “ _We decide our own pace.”_

Feeling quite a bit overwhelmed, Adachi looked away, fighting the urge to hide his face in his hands. _How does he just… say these things._ Still, it was such a nice thought… That they didn’t have to adhere to some sort of “universal” relationship rules… That they could make their own rules, and just take their time. _“Let’s enjoy every new experience,”_ Kurosawa had said once, and that was what he was offering here again. 

_I want to…_

Adachi wasn’t entirely sure exactly _what_ he wanted, but as his eyes caught Kurosawa’s again, he knew that what he _didn’t_ want was to spend the night alone in the living room. Not now, not after having felt so cold and alone the past few nights. 

Realizing he should say something in response, he took a deep breath and nodded quickly. “I… I’d like that. But, Kurosawa?” Adachi asked, and the man tilted his head, expecting. “I, um. Can we… I mean, can I…” He closed his eyes for a second and shook his head. Damnit, he had managed to be so fully open about his feelings earlier on that rooftop, he could do this. “I’d like… to stay with you. Tonight. If it’s okay?”

The way Kurosawa looked back at him almost broke his heart - there was just so much genuine _happiness_ in his expression, so much gratitude, so much _love._ “Of course,” Kurosawa replied, his voice slightly unsteady. “It’s more than okay.” For a second there, Adachi was sure that Kurosawa was about to hug him, but in the end he just took a shaky breath and nodded towards the bedroom. “Make yourself comfortable. I will be right there,” he said, before disappearing in the direction of the bathroom.

Adachi stood there for a little longer, feeling slightly disappointed at not having been hugged after all, then only spared a quick glance at the futon before making his way to Kurosawa’s bedroom. With his heart speeding up a little, he got under the covers, relishing the softness of the sheets, and the way the bed smelled distinctly of Kurosawa. Snuggling further into the comfortable warmth, Adachi thought back to the way the man had held him earlier as they stood watching the fireworks. How eventually he had let go of Adachi’s hand to move behind him and wrap both his arms around his waist. How Adachi had leant back into him, Kurosawa’s chin going to rest on top of his shoulder. How warm, how safe it had felt to just stand there in Kurosawa’s arms. 

Kurosawa. His _boyfriend._ It still somehow felt so weird to use this word, but Adachi supposed he should probably get used to it. It was just… Sometimes the word freaked him out a little, and sometimes it just didn’t feel like enough. Adachi laughed to himself at the thought - _not enough,_ when they hadn’t even kissed yet.

_Oh._

They hadn’t even kissed yet. 

As he replayed the night in his head, he realized he’d seen Kurosawa’s eyes dart towards his lips a few times, but evidently he had never dared to actually do anything. And Adachi had been so caught up in their reunion, their promise, the relief and happiness he was feeling - he hadn’t really thought about it. 

Until now, apparently. 

He buried himself a little more under the covers, his heart racing as he realized that as much as doing anything more intimate definitely felt too overwhelming, _this_ was something he might actually want. That the thought of Kurosawa leaning in and kissing him on that rooftop was making him smile a lot more than it was making him nervous. 

Well, the night wasn’t over, but… Was Kurosawa really waiting for him to initiate it? Because that thought was a lot more terrifying. Maybe he could just tell him? No, the idea of saying the words out loud made his head spin in a decidedly not nice way. Maybe there was a way he could—

His thoughts were saved from spiraling any further when Kurosawa stepped into the room, chuckling softly when he saw Adachi buried so deep underneath the comforter that only his eyes were still visible. “Cold?” He asked, and Adachi nodded quickly. 

_If he says something about keeping me warm I’m not sure I could handle it right now,_ Adachi thought, desperately trying to keep his heart rate under control.

Fortunately, Kurosawa didn’t say anything and simply joined him between the sheets, lying down on his side so they were facing each other. He glanced at Adachi, looking slightly nervous, then slowly reached out to brush his knuckles against Adachi’s arm. _“Is this okay?”_ Adachi nodded again and Kurosawa smiled, laying his hand flat on Adachi’s arm, thumb rubbing gentle, soothing circles over the skin. _“If you’re ever uncomfortable, let me know.”_

Adachi gave another quick nod and a small smile to reassure Kurosawa that so far it was perfectly fine. If anything, considering his earlier musings, it was not enough. Once again, Adachi found himself wishing that Kurosawa could simply read his mind. It would be a lot easier for him to communicate what he wanted if he didn’t always need to come up with actual words or actions.

_Well, I guess that’s my own challenge._

Gathering his resolve, Adachi swallowed hard and shifted a little closer, hoping to get his message across. Kurosawa’s eyes studied him for a moment, but then his hand started moving up and down Adachi’s arm, slowly, getting a little bolder each time until it moved all the way up to his shoulder, the tips of Kurosawa’s fingers grazing his neck. Adachi’s eyes fluttered then, his breath hitching slightly, and Kurosawa froze, giving him a questioning look. 

Adachi smiled, leaning into the touch, and Kurosawa visibly relaxed and started moving his hand again. Adachi realized then that Kurosawa’s thoughts were almost completely muffled. He could see very brief flashes of images - that he tried to ignore because the moment was fragile enough that he didn’t need anything to throw him into a panic - and there was a quiet litany of _“I love him, I love him, I love him,”_ but mostly it seemed as though Kurosawa was trying hard to keep his thoughts in check and not scare him. 

His heart soared some more as that realization hit, and Adachi’s eyes softened as he studied Kurosawa’s face. The man wasn’t looking him in the eyes anymore, his gaze was following the course of his fingers along Adachi’s arm and neck, sometimes moving all the way up to run through his hair - unknowingly sending small shivers down Adachi’s spine. His eyes were focused, yet gentle, with something akin to awe shining in them, and not for the first or the last time Adachi wondered at how someone like Kurosawa could look at him like that. 

_How did I get so lucky?_

_I love him._

His eyes fell on Kurosawa’s lips, and he was once again overcome by the thought of kissing him. His heart rate picked up again as he considered leaning in - after all, it was always Kurosawa showing him affection, maybe he could do something for the man too… But his body remained frozen; this was still definitely a bit too much for him. 

“Adachi?” 

Adachi jumped a little, realizing that Kurosawa’s hand wasn’t on his arm anymore - only barely grazing his wrist. Kurosawa was looking at him with concern, apparently believing he had done something wrong, and Adachi hated that he’d make him think that. 

“I’m fine,” he breathed out quickly. “I just.” He tried hard to come up with words that didn’t feel terribly daunting to say out loud, but his mind was blank, and he just— He needed Kurosawa to stop looking at him so worriedly, to know that he was only freaking out because he was so lacking in experience and so terrible at expressing himself that he couldn’t even get such a simple message across.

Then that was when it hit him. Something he could do. Something small, a lot less scary, yet something that would hopefully carry out his thoughts. Exhaling shakily, Adachi slowly took Kurosawa’s hand in his and squeezed it gently. Kurosawa’s eyes widened slightly but he was still looking unsure, so Adachi closed his eyes and brought Kurosawa’s hand to his lips, kissing it softly.

When he opened his eyes, he relaxed his hold on Kurosawa’s hand and looked up to find his, well, _boyfriend_ looking back at him with wide, shining eyes. “Are you…?” Kurosawa asked, his voice sounding like it was on the verge of breaking. Adachi nodded frantically, and somehow managed to breathe out a shaky “Yes.”

Kurosawa’s smile was so beautifully happy that Adachi’s anxiety quieted down a little. He supposed it was worth freaking out a little bit if he could give back at least some of the happiness and love that Kurosawa kept giving him. 

Kurosawa shifted closer, his fingers reaching out to gently trace the side of Adachi’s face. Adachi almost felt like he couldn’t breathe, but he managed to keep looking into Kurosawa’s eyes. _“You can tell me to stop anytime,”_ Adachi heard in his head as Kurosawa’s hand cupped the back of his head, but he didn’t want to stop - he wanted to be _closer_. For all those times when they had almost kissed and he had been so scared, this time it was the anticipation that was killing him. Kurosawa was so close, yet still so far, and he was leaning in so slowly, giving Adachi all the time in the world to pull back if he changed his mind, and Adachi was so _grateful_ to have him in his life, so grateful to be loved by him, and Adachi loved him _so much_ , and he— 

All thoughts disappeared when he felt Kurosawa’s lips against his. It was as if time had stopped; everything had gone silent, and all that was left was that simple contact - the barest touch of lips, just enough to register how right and natural it felt, before time started again and a sudden surge of pure, unadulterated _bliss_ rushed through him. It was a perfect blend of his own feelings and the ones Kurosawa was conveying through his touch, and Adachi couldn’t say what part of those actually belonged to him or to his boyfriend. All Adachi knew was that when he felt Kurosawa begin to pull back, everything in his body screamed for him to stay, and his fingers grabbed blindly for Kurosawa’s t-shirt, tangling themselves into the fabric and pulling him closer.

There was a choked sound coming from Kurosawa and without really registering how it happened, Adachi suddenly found himself wrapped in the man’s arms, one hand still cupping his face as they both pressed closer and closer - until it just wasn’t enough anymore. Kurosawa tilted his head a bit more to the side, his lips parting slightly, and surprisingly enough Adachi didn’t even need to think about it. His body seemed to instinctively know how to respond, and his lips parted as well, allowing the kiss to deepen slowly, carefully, giving him enough time to get used to each new sensation. And all the while, he was being bathed in the love and adoration he could feel through Kurosawa’s touch, an endless string of _“I love him; I could do this forever; I love him,”_ echoing through his mind. 

It was both a lot for him, taking this new step, and somehow it was also nothing at all. Just like how natural it had become to have Kurosawa next to him, smiling at him, holding his hand, it felt just as natural to now be kissing him. It wasn’t about what people had to do when in a relationship - no, the rest of the world and its rules didn’t matter; they didn’t apply here. It was just that he was here, and Kurosawa was here, and Kurosawa loved him, and he loved Kurosawa, and of course he wanted to be closer to him, to hold him and kiss him and just disappear like that in their own world while the rest of the universe kept on turning without them.

With that as his last coherent thought, Adachi shifted a little closer, his fingers letting go of Kurosawa’s t-shirt so he could wrap his arms around his boyfriend’s shoulders, and he finally allowed himself to focus simply on the moment.

Minutes passed by, hours maybe - neither of them could tell, too enamored with this new experience they had just shared with each other, too lost in the blissful aftermath of the evening to bother keeping track of time. They didn’t even need to talk - it all happened naturally again, how they eventually stopped kissing to simply hold each other. After a little while, Kurosawa turned off the lights, and Adachi’s fingers found the fabric of Kurosawa’s t-shirt again as he burrowed closer, resting his forehead against his boyfriend's chest.

Kurosawa had one arm securely wrapped around Adachi, his hand slowly tracing soothing patterns on his back. Adachi could also feel soft kisses being placed on the top of his head, where Kurosawa had buried his face in his hair. Somehow, both his thoughts and Kurosawa’s were relatively quiet, and Adachi was really starting to feel the nervous and physical exhaustion of the night catching up with him. Shifting a bit to be more comfortable, he closed his eyes and let himself relax into the warmth of Kurosawa’s embrace.

_"Sleep well, Kiyoshi"_

If Adachi's heart jumped slightly at the way Kurosawa had thought of him using his first name, he was fast asleep before he could think too much about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kurosawa is just... Aaah I love them, they're so lucky to have each other <3 (Was this too fluffy? I feel like I just let it all out lol, no holding back)
> 
> Normally there should be 3 chapters in total - the next one revolving around Kurosawa being a menace now that he knows he can flirt with Adachi without anyone listening. And the 3rd one being the actual loss of the magic. But I don't always control what the characters do in my stories, so we'll see if they want to behave differently... I hope it won't take me too long to write them - but considering the whole situation we never know what might happen. I'll do my best! 
> 
> Until next time, take care everyone :)


	2. There's an innocent thrill that we are seeking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Adachi was sure he was going to lose his mind before the week was over."_
> 
> Back at work, Kurosawa is making good use of his knowledge of Adachi's magic. Adachi's thoughts are also not helping at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I want to thank you all SO MUCH for the incredible reception this story has gotten. I couldn't believe how many kudos and comments I got just for the first chapter, and so fast. The Cherry Magic fandom is indeed amazing and incredibly motivating.
> 
> Now here's the second chapter! If the first one was rather heavy with feels, this one is a bit more silly and funny, but I hope you guys will like it too. I had a great time writing it, in any case!
> 
> Thank you again to [call_me_origami](https://archiveofourown.org/users/call_me_origami/pseuds/call_me_origami) for checking out this chapter before I posted it!! And thanks everyone on the discord for the motivation and help <3

Adachi was sure he was going to lose his mind before the week was over.

At least the office would be closed on Friday… But it was only Tuesday, and Adachi didn’t think he was going to be able to handle it much longer. Kurosawa had already been rather distracting before he had known about the magic, but it had always been accidental then...

There was nothing accidental about it anymore. The man knew _exactly_ what he was doing and he seemed to be enjoying it immensely - if the mischievous twitch of the falsely innocent smile he wore each time Adachi jumped or choked was any indication. That smile was so infuriating. Adachi wanted to kiss it off Kurosawa’s stupid face.

His stupid, handsome face.

Alright, maybe it wasn’t _always_ Kurosawa’s fault that Adachi was spending his day in a semi-constant state of distraction. Although, considering the nature of his thoughts, Adachi still felt that it was fair to blame Kurosawa for them. It was Kurosawa that he had just spent a rather large part of the weekend making out with, after all.

_It was really nice, though._

In the end, they had both ended up calling in sick on Friday morning. Partly because they had woken up rather late, partly because Adachi didn’t have any work clothes at Kurosawa’s, and mostly because neither of them had felt like leaving their warm cocoon of blankets. Why face the outside world when you could spend your morning kissing, cuddling and laughing with the person you loved?

Adachi almost groaned aloud when he realized he was once again smiling and staring at the wall. He shook his head and tried to make his eyes focus on his screen instead of reminiscing their weekend for the hundredth time.

Because, really, it hadn’t been that eventful. Eventually, Tsuge had texted on Friday afternoon asking if he could get his bicycle back - he had something planned with Minato the next day - and Adachi had decided to use this opportunity to go back to his place and clean it up. Kurosawa had come along, of course. They hadn’t even needed to talk about it; they were just so completely wrapped up in their own little world then that it was just logical. Anywhere one would go, the other would follow. 

Of course Tsuge had given him a small, knowing smile when he’d seen them both arrive outside of Adachi’s place. Adachi had just rolled his eyes, before handing him his bicycle back and thanking him. 

“Tell me some other time,” Tsuge had said. He had quickly glanced between him and Kurosawa before pedalling away, leaving Adachi standing rather mortified next to his boyfriend. 

Kurosawa, however, hadn’t shown any sign of being embarrassed. As soon as they had reached Adachi’s apartment, he had immediately leaned closer and smirked. “What will you tell him, I wonder,” he had whispered. Adachi had immediately started spluttering, only to be cut off by Kurosawa’s lips on his own. _“I hope it’ll only be good things,”_ the man had had the _gall_ to think. Adachi had had half a mind to push him away. 

He hadn’t, though.

Kurosawa was a really good kisser.

Not that Adachi had any point of comparison, but it didn’t matter. If kissing Kurosawa felt any less good, he might have suggested going out at some point during the weekend - at least, for something other than getting some food, or going back to Kurosawa’s place later that night. Adachi might really need to think about getting a bigger bed if they were ever going to crash at his place again… In any case, most of the Saturday and Sunday had been spent inside Kurosawa’s apartment, usually huddled up together under a blanket on his couch or his bed, enjoying their newfound intimacy.

It still somewhat surprised Adachi, how much he had come to enjoy it. He had even initiated kissing several times over the weekend, and not necessarily because Kurosawa’s thoughts had been hinting at it. At one point they had been quietly reading on Kurosawa’s couch, and Adachi’s eyes had landed on his boyfriend’s face. Somehow he hadn’t been able to look away. When Kurosawa had eventually noticed and given him a confused look, Adachi had all but launched himself at him, Kurosawa’s surprised gasp dying against his lips. 

_“Hello there,”_ Kurosawa had thought. Adachi had pulled back just enough to mumble an apology before Kurosawa’s hand had slipped into his hair to draw him back into the kiss. _“Definitely never apologize for surprising me like this,”_ he had thought, and Adachi had simply melted against him. 

It was as if now that they had crossed that particular line, it didn’t seem as daunting anymore. Adachi wondered if it would be the same when they eventually had sex. In fact, even though they had talked about taking things slow, and Kurosawa was always being so careful of his thoughts or the way he held him, it was steadily becoming one of the main thoughts at the forefront of Adachi’s mind— 

“Adachi?”

Not for the first time - and likely not for the last - Adachi jumped as the sound of Kurosawa’s voice interrupted his musings. When Adachi looked up, Kurosawa seemed like he was thoroughly enjoying himself. “I wanted to talk to you about the data I mentioned earlier, but maybe you’re busy?” Kurosawa asked innocently, his hand brushing Adachi’s arm as he leaned closer. _“I love the look on your face when you’re thinking about me,”_ he thought, and Adachi bit the inside of his lip hard. He settled on giving his infuriating boyfriend a half-hearted glare before opening the file he needed and, ironically, finally getting some work done.

So, that was one of the reasons Adachi was reevaluating the whole “taking things slow” thing. Now that Kurosawa knew about the magic, he was having way too much fun with it. He was never taking it so far as to truly make Adachi uncomfortable, no. However, he seemed to know exactly how to get under Adachi’s skin _just right_ so that he would be constantly on edge. As if Adachi’s own thoughts weren’t doing a pretty decent job of that on their own already…

On the previous day, Kurosawa had somehow conjured up very vivid memories of them kissing on his couch or on his bed every time their arms had “accidentally” brushed. Adachi was sure he must have spent the day with a semi-permanent blush on his face. When they had finally gotten back to Kurosawa’s place, he had immediately grabbed his boyfriend by the lapels of his jacket and kissed him senseless. 

“You did it on purpose,” Adachi had said against Kurosawa’s lips. 

“You’re not exactly making a strong case for why I shouldn’t do it again, though,” Kurosawa had replied. Adachi had only groaned and kissed him some more. 

It had probably been counterproductive, but Adachi supposed that sometimes it was also fine to just do what he wanted.

He just wished that he knew for sure whether he only wanted the magic to go away because it was getting way too distracting, or if he really wanted their relationship to move forward in that way. It just didn’t feel right if it was only the first reason... 

Truthfully, he knew that if he asked Kurosawa to stop teasing him at work, he would do it without a second thought. He also knew that the reason he hadn’t said anything yet was that, while he did fear for his sanity, it was also really… fun. Exhilarating. After spending so many years just going through the days in a daze, Adachi felt alive. 

So, if it wasn’t because of the magic, then it would mean that, maybe, he might actually want...

 _Ugh I can’t deal with this now! I came here to calm down,_ Adachi thought, letting his head fall on the cafeteria table. He’d retreated there once he and Kurosawa had been done working. He just needed some peace and quiet, but of course his thoughts would _not_ leave him alone. 

Ironically, the only moment when he hadn't been suffering from a relentless onslaught of his own thoughts lately had been whenever he and Kurosawa were kissing.

 _Not helping._

Really, he just wanted a distraction from that particular distraction. 

“Ah Adachi-san, you’re here!” 

Alright, maybe not _that_ kind of distraction. Rokkaku sure was nice and always meant well, but Adachi didn’t think he could handle the younger man’s energy right now. Still, he raised his head and nodded slightly at him. “Ah, yes, I just needed a break.” He gestured towards the bottle of water he had on the table. “Headache.”

“Oh no, are you okay?” Rokkaku asked, sitting across from him. “Do you need some medicine?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Adachi assured him. “Were you looking for me?”

“Ah, well, I was just about to take a break too and then I saw you— Oh, Kurosawa-san is here too!”

Adachi jumped again at the sudden appearance of his boyfriend, tensing a little when he came to sit beside him. _Please don’t tease me right now,_ he thought aimlessly, hoping Kurosawa could maybe read him anyway. 

“Everything alright?” Kurosawa asked, studying him quietly.

“Fine, fine. Just a headache, but I’m better. I’ll go back to—”

“Maybe you’re still not feeling well?” Rokkaku asked. “You were sick on Friday, right? Actually Kurosawa too!”

Adachi’s eyes widened in alarm. He opened his mouth but words wouldn’t come to him - fortunately Kurosawa replied instead. “Ah, well, we might have stayed out too late the night before. It was rather cold, after all.”

 _We? So he’s admitting we were together on Christmas Eve, just like that?_ Adachi’s knee sharply bumped Kurosawa’s under the table. The thought that reached him in return wasn’t teasing, at least. _“It’s just Rokkaku. He knows we’re friends, don’t worry too much about him.”_ Technically Adachi wasn’t so much worried about Rokkaku finding out - he was best friends with Tsuge’s boyfriend, after all; he wasn’t going to judge them or anything… No, he was more worried about him making a _huge_ deal of it and then the entire office finding out.

“Oh you guys spent Christmas together! That’s great,” Rokkaku said, and he actually didn’t seem to think anything of it. Well, he was certainly different from Fujisaki-san... She had seemed to pick up on what was going on between them almost immediately. “I was going to watch the fireworks with a friend, but then they got cancelled,” Rokkaku added with a sigh. 

“Hmm, yes, that was too bad,” Kurosawa said quietly. Adachi glanced at him quickly and saw a small smile appear on his lips. He held back a smile of his own as memories of unexpected fireworks flashed through his mind while Kurosawa continued talking. “But actually, we were lucky enough to see people light up some of their own instead.” 

Kurosawa turned his head, his smile growing fond as his eyes met Adachi’s. _“But not nearly as lucky as I felt when you showed up.”_ There was such a rush of _love_ that came with that thought that Adachi almost felt himself tear up. He bit hard on the inside of his lip and hoped that Kurosawa could see in his eyes that the feeling was mutual - that if anything, _Adachi_ had been the lucky one that night. Always had been, really, to have someone like Kurosawa love him so much all this time.

“You saw them?” Rokkaku’s voice broke the moment and reminded them they weren’t alone. “That’s so cool!”

“Eh?” Adachi said, blinking at him.

“Ah well… So, when my plans fell through, I felt so bummed and told Fujisaki-san about it. And somehow, on Christmas Eve, she suddenly called me and asked if I wanted to go light up some fireworks. Isn’t she nice? It was a lot of fun, but now that I know you saw them I’m even happier!” Rokkaku stopped bouncing with energy when he realized that both Kurosawa and Adachi were sitting there frozen, staring at him with wide eyes. “What is it?”

“So… those fireworks were Fujisaki-san’s idea?” Kurosawa eventually said.

“It was! She didn’t really say why she wanted to do it, but I thought it would be fun. Better than sitting at home by myself, in any case. Besides, it’s the kind of thing that makes other people happy, don’t you think?”

“That… Yes, it was— It was definitely a nice surprise,” Kurosawa said. Adachi had to admire the way the man sounded almost completely natural. At least that saved Adachi the trouble of saying anything, because he certainly hadn’t recovered from the surprise yet. 

“So, what else did you— Oh wait, I’m getting a call. Sorry, I’ll see you later!” Rokkaku said, jumping out of his chair and quickly walking away.

Adachi watched him leave, still in shock, until Kurosawa turned to him. “So… Fujisaki-san?”

Meeting his boyfriend’s eyes, Adachi let out a small, nervous laughter. “Well, I did call her to know if you were at work before going to meet you… And she certainly is perceptive.”

“She definitely is,” Kurosawa replied with a smile.

“Should we do something? To thank her?” After all, it wasn’t just about the fireworks… The conversation Adachi had had with her the previous week had certainly helped him realize what he wanted. 

“I have a meeting across the city later this afternoon; there’s a nice sweets shop near there. I’ll swing by before coming back here.” 

Adachi nodded, and a comfortable silence fell between them as they held each other’s gaze for a while. Eventually, Kurosawa’s glance turned half worried, half apologetic. “Are you alright, though? You sort of disappeared as soon as we were done earlier.” Then he added, only for Adachi to hear, _“I’m sorry, I guess I’ve been a bit much, haven’t I? It’s just hard for me to hold back when you look so cute.”_ Adachi felt his cheeks heat up and gave his boyfriend a rather unimpressed look. Kurosawa chuckled. “Sorry. I did it again. But I mean it, are you okay? _I’ll stop if you want me to,”_ he said, half out loud.

“It’s not _just_ your fault,” Adachi replied, sighing softly. “I get wrapped up in my own thoughts a lot too.”

“Oh really? Do tell,” Kurosawa said, leaning closer and looking way too interested.

“You’re impossible,” Adachi protested, laughing as he leaned back to put at least a little bit of distance between them. They were still in the middle of the cafeteria, after all. “I’m not telling you anything.”

“Come on, just one little thing?” 

“No way!”

“Ah, but it’s not fair, I can’t read your thoughts after all…” Kurosawa was looking at him with barely concealed amusement. 

Adachi didn’t reply - actually he wasn’t even looking at him anymore. He was staring at some random point on the table, eyes wide in panic at the mere idea that his boyfriend could have witnessed his earlier thoughts. 

“Wow, that good huh?” Adachi’s head snapped to the side at the sound of Kurosawa’s voice. His boyfriend was gazing at him with fond eyes - and a smile that was borderline too smug, and at the same time way too attractive.

Damn the stupid cafeteria. How many more hours until they could leave already?

Before Adachi could say anything - or most likely groan and hide his face in his arms - Kurosawa was laughing again. “Alright, alright, sorry. I’ll stop. For now.”

Adachi exhaled shakily. “For now, huh.”

“Unless you do want me to stop completely?” Kurosawa’s gaze was piercing, inquisitive. Their knees met under the table once more. _“If it’s really bothering you, tell me. There’s no point if it’s not fun for you too. You know I would never want to make you feel bad.”_

The thought helped settle Adachi’s nerves a little. Of course Kurosawa would never want to embarrass him. And it _was_ fun, just— Well. He wasn’t really used to the constant state of agitation. “It’s fine,” Adachi replied quickly. “It is a bit much, sometimes, true. But it’s also kind of fun,” he assured him with a small smile. 

“Alright then. But tell me anytime okay?” Adachi nodded and Kurosawa’s features softened a bit. “Ah, by the way… _Are we leaving together tonight, or do you need to get some things from your place?”_

“Hmm, I’m good,” Adachi replied, shaking his head. “I’ll head back with you.”

“Perfect,” Kurosawa said, one of his trademark blinding smiles lighting up his face. He held Adachi’s gaze for a moment longer, then tore his eyes away with a small sigh. “Alright, I should leave before Rokkaku comes looking for me.” 

“Right… Good luck for your meeting.”

“Thank you,” Kurosawa said warmly. As he stood up, he laid his hand on Adachi’s shoulder and made eye contact once more. _“See you later, Kiyoshi.”_

Adachi swallowed hard, feeling another blush creep up his neck as Kurosawa walked away. 

That man would be the death of him. Adachi was sure of it. 

But... maybe it didn’t sound so bad. 

The rest of the day passed by in a relatively similar way. Even though Kurosawa had been away for a few hours, Adachi never really managed to catch a break from his thoughts… But it was fine. Somehow, he felt a bit calmer after having talked to Kurosawa. Everything was still a bit unnerving, true; especially when he thought about taking that next step together… But he also knew that if he ever felt overwhelmed, Kurosawa would be there to support him through it.

And wasn’t that the best feeling, in the end? Not being alone. Knowing there was someone who saw him for who he was, and accepted his true self so unconditionally, someone with whom he could feel completely safe. _Ah, I’m becoming mushy myself,_ he thought, rolling his eyes and trying to get back to work. They would be able to leave soon, fortunately, but before that Adachi really wanted to see Fujisaki-san.

She had been in a meeting of her own when Kurosawa had returned, so they had been able to discreetly slip the small box of sweets in her drawer at that time. Adachi had smiled upon seeing the small note Kurosawa had left on top of it - _“Thank you for the fireworks,”_ without mentioning their names. But Adachi knew that she would know anyway.

He would never have thought to be so lucky as to have people in his life who would be there for him like that. Sure, he had already known that she was supporting him and Kurosawa when she had talked to him last week… But that was so much more than a pep talk. Going so far… Somehow, it made the memories of that night even more precious to Adachi - and they were already some of his most precious ones. 

Eventually, Fujisaki-san came back. Adachi kept glancing towards her, until he saw her open her drawer and blink in confusion. Their eyes immediately met as she looked up and Adachi bit his lip, trying not to smile too much. He quickly glanced behind him towards Kurosawa’s desk, before looking back at Fujisaki-san and nodding. 

She blinked again, then looked in Rokkaku’s direction and shook her head, smiling. She then nodded at Adachi and mouthed _“Thank you.”_ But Adachi just shook his head and mouthed _“Thank you”_ as well, hoping to convey just how much _they_ were the ones feeling grateful. 

Fujisaki-san ducked her head a little and smiled, glancing between Adachi and a spot behind him. When Adachi looked over his shoulder, he saw Kurosawa sitting at his desk, observing the whole scene with a fond look on his face. 

Kurosawa’s eyes met his, and it was one of those times when Adachi didn’t need to be touching him to know exactly what he was thinking. Infuriating tendencies aside, Kurosawa also knew exactly how to make Adachi’s heart melt under his look. Knowing he shouldn’t keep staring for too long, Adachi reluctantly turned back to his computer. His eyes immediately went for the clock on his screen. Maybe he was indeed turning mushy, but Adachi didn’t care so much at that moment. He just couldn’t wait to leave work and go wrap himself in the warmth of Kurosawa’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, Rokkaku's appearance was NOT planned. This man just appears everywhere it seems. But anyway, I saw it as the opportunity to give Fujisaki-san's some love - which she deserves A LOT of, so hopefully, it was fine?
> 
> Anyway, there's still a lot I wanted to have happen that I couldn't fit into this chapter... So there will be at least 4 chapters instead of 3. (I did say I had no control over what characters did haha)
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter too! I'll be dealing with a ton of anxiety starting next week, but I'll do my best to channel happy Cherry Magic thoughts and keep writing! Take care <3


	3. You drive me crazy half the time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"It was actually a rather sobering feeling. Knowing that he didn’t have to do anything if it didn’t feel right. But also, knowing that he, in fact, wanted to."_
> 
> Kurosawa is still very distracting, but this time it's mainly Adachi's thoughts that are at fault as Adachi slowly begins to understand what he wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many, many thanks to all of you who are following and supporting this story!! You have no idea how much I love every single comment, kudo, bookmark, subscription... Again, this fandom is an absolute gem!! I'm so happy I get to be a part of it!!
> 
> Here's the third chapter... How can I describe it? It's a rollercoaster I guess - for Adachi at least. It ended up longer than I thought it would be haha, but I hope you will find it entertaining!
> 
> [call_me_origami](https://archiveofourown.org/users/call_me_origami/pseuds/call_me_origami), thank you so much for your help on this chapter too!!!!

“So, what are your plans for New Year?”

Adachi almost didn’t register that the question was directed at him. He had barely been awake for a few minutes, just enough to lay his head on top of Kurosawa’s chest and allow his mind to drift pleasantly in a semi-asleep state. It just felt so _nice_ to ignore the world for a while, wrapped in the warmth of his boyfriend’s arms, loving thoughts gently tugging at the edge of his consciousness. Kurosawa’s fingers were drawing feather-like patterns on the surface of his arm, sending the barest of shivers through his skin and keeping him from completely falling back to sleep.

“Adachi?”

Oh, right, he still hadn’t replied yet. Adachi groaned, mustering all of his energy to open his eyes and raise his head enough to look at his boyfriend. “Mmm?” 

Kurosawa chuckled, his hand coming up to brush off a few strands of hair that were falling in Adachi’s eyes. “Good morning,” he said, his gaze both amused and incredibly fond. _“Ah, I love that bedhead of yours,”_ he thought, fingers still toying with Adachi’s hair. 

“I know.” Kurosawa raised an eyebrow and Adachi smiled. “It was one of the first thoughts I heard from you.”

“Ah, man,” Kurosawa groaned in mock despair. “I wonder how many embarrassing thoughts you have heard by now…”

Adachi bit his lip to stifle a small laugh and quickly rolled off of his boyfriend, stretching his arms over his head. “So, anyway, I usually spend New Year’s eve with my mother—”

He was cut off by Kurosawa suddenly hovering over him. He had both arms on each side of Adachi’s face, and even though they weren’t touching at any point, his body was effectively caging him. Adachi’s heart rate picked up a bit at the position, even though the way Kurosawa was looking at him was purely amused. “Don’t change the subject.”

Adachi swallowed hard to try and get his heart to slow down a bit, but he still managed not to break eye contact. “If anything, I’m bringing us back to the original subject,” he said, as innocently as possible.

The amusement in Kurosawa’s eyes turned into something… different. Something Adachi had only barely seen a few glimpses of so far, as it seemed that Kurosawa would always rein it in immediately. This time, though, it lingered, a banked fire that was burning through Adachi’s entire being. Adrenalin shot through his veins as Kurosawa lowered his face, lips almost brushing his. “Aren’t you cheeky this morning?” He said, his voice low and deep and Adachi just couldn’t take it anymore - he wrapped one arm around Kurosawa’s shoulders, his other hand flying to the back of his boyfriend’s head, and he pulled him in.

 _“God, I love you,”_ was the thought that reached Adachi as their lips finally met in a deep, intense kiss. He heard the broken sound that escaped his throat as one of Kurosawa’s hands cupped his jaw but chose to ignore it - his half-awake brain too busy swimming in the overwhelming sensations. His fingers tightened in Kurosawa’s hair and he felt the reaction ripple through his boyfriend’s shoulders. _Dammit,_ this felt _really_ good, and why was Kurosawa still so far, why didn’t he come closer so that Adachi could melt against him - maybe Adachi should pull him in again; _god_ he just wanted to feel his warmth, he just wanted to—

Kurosawa broke the kiss all of a sudden, raising his head with a sharp intake of breath. Adachi looked up and blinked a few times, trying to make sense of his surroundings. His eyes caught Kurosawa’s and his hands fell to his sides as he took in the sight of his boyfriend above him, thoroughly disheveled, a blush almost entirely covering his face and neck - and the heat in his eyes as he was looking down at Adachi, trying to catch his breath. 

It made Adachi’s stomach turn over on itself, but not necessarily in a bad, anxiety-induced way.

“I should go prepare breakfast,” Kurosawa exhaled, and Adachi realized that the man’s arms were shaking. “It’s getting late.” He gave Adachi a bright smile and leaned forward to kiss his forehead. Adachi caught the end of a stray thought, _“...control almost slipped,”_ and his eyes widened slightly as he watched Kurosawa quickly dart out of the room.

_What…_

As he stared at the ceiling, Adachi was suddenly hit by the realization of what had just happened. Or rather, what had _not_ happened, but might have had if Kurosawa hadn’t stopped them. Because Kurosawa certainly _looked_ like he wouldn’t have been opposed… And if Adachi was entirely honest with himself, in that moment, he also, kind of...

_Alright, breathe._

Adachi wasn’t sure exactly how this had been different from all the other times they had been kissing up until then, but there had been _something._ Because he had never felt like this, so close to forego all thought and surrender to the way he felt. Even now, he was still out of breath, his body still kind of felt like it had been lit on fire, and if he thought for too long about the way Kurosawa had stared back at him just then—

_I said breathe._

He really needed to compose himself if he ever wanted to leave this bed and face Kurosawa at breakfast. Never mind what he might have wanted… They still had to leave for work soon. So, even if they had… Well. It would have been rushed. And yes, maybe, once again, he was being mushy - but Adachi didn’t want rushed. Not with Kurosawa.

So, he was going to calm down, eat the amazing food that his boyfriend had prepared, and have his existential crisis later. Probably at work. It would be in perfect continuity with the previous days anyway.

Once he felt like he could handle it, Adachi stepped into Kurosawa’s living room. His boyfriend smiled at him from the kitchen, where he was just about finished with their breakfast. Before he could sit at the table, Kurosawa turned off the stove and went to grab his hand. 

“Sorry about earlier,” Kurosawa said, looking a bit sheepish. “I was getting carried away.”

Well, so much for trying to remain composed. Adachi felt himself blush all over again, and he looked away nervously. “Ah, no, it’s— It’s fine. I was… Well, kind of, um…”

Kurosawa’s sheepish expression was short-lived; when Adachi looked back at his boyfriend, the familiar mischievous glint in his eyes was back. “You were… what?” He asked, blinking innocently.

Adachi groaned and let his head fall on Kurosawa’s shoulder. “Don’t tease me so early in the morning,” he whined.

“Alright, alright,” Kurosawa laughed, wrapping both arms around Adachi’s shoulders and holding him close. _“He’s really so cute… Ah, I want—”_

Before Kurosawa could finish the thought, Adachi interrupted him. “I’ll get there.”

“Hmm?”

“I mean… I’m thinking about it. I just…”

Kurosawa stepped back and laid his hands on Adachi’s arms, smiling gently. “It’s okay. I don’t want you to force yourself - I mean it, we can go as slow as you want.”

“I know,” Adachi replied, smiling back. “And I’m not forcing myself. It’s not that I don’t want it... I’m just… I’m trying to understand myself.”

Kurosawa visibly swallowed. “Take all the time you need,” he assured Adachi, yet his voice was slightly more breathless than before. “But if you say such things… Then I’ll be the one who will have trouble focusing at work.”

“Ha! Serves you right,” Adachi retorted, then his features softened. “But thank you. For being so patient with me.”

“Of course,” Kurosawa said, shaking his head. He gently cupped Adachi’s face with one hand and leaned forward to kiss his forehead. _“I love you,”_ Adachi heard, the sincerity of it almost heartbreaking. Damn work, he just wanted to stay here a little longer, to shift forward and have Kurosawa hold him again until he felt more settled…

But Kurosawa was already stepping back, telling him to sit down and start eating before it got cold. “Ah, and we still need to finish our earlier conversation,” he added as he sat down opposite Adachi. “About New Year.”

Adachi actually had to stop and think back for a second to understand what Kurosawa was referring to. “Ah - yes. Well, I told you, I usually spend New Year’s eve with my mother. It’s just the two of us, so we just sit down and eat soba in front of the TV. Then we go to the temple in the morning. What about you?”

“Hmm… So technically, after visiting the temple on the 1st, you would be free?”

“Technically? I mean, I usually stay at her place, but it’s not set in stone… Although if I decide not to stay then I should warn her not to prepare too much food… Why, what do you have in mind?” Adachi asked, noticing the expectant look on Kurosawa’s face.

“And since the office will be closed, you would be free on the 2nd and 3rd, right?”

“Stop avoiding my questions,” Adachi laughed. “Or I’ll just read your mind later.”

“Don’t underestimate my desire to keep this surprise a secret. I’ll guard my thoughts with care.”

“So there is a surprise?” Adachi wondered briefly if it was silly that the idea was making his heart race so much.

“Maybe,” Kurosawa said enigmatically. “I’ll text you later. I had to make sure you were available first.” 

“You’re horrible. How am I going to be able to think about anything else now?” Adachi asked, half frowning, half smiling.

“All according to plan,” his infuriating boyfriend replied, laying his chin on his hand and giving Adachi his most piercing look.

Adachi shook his head, laughing, then urged Kurosawa to let him finish his breakfast in peace. Still, he was smiling the entire time, as well as the whole cab ride to work. He eventually tried to compose himself as they reached the office - the last thing he needed was for Urabe-san to ask him for pictures of his _girlfriend_ again…

Somehow, he managed to get some work done in the morning. He probably glanced at his phone way more often than strictly necessary, but he was still able to focus a little.

Of course all that went out the window when he eventually got Kurosawa’s text. It wasn’t even particularly distracting... _‘Meet me at Ueno station at 11:30 on Friday. Bring enough for two nights. Oh, and there will be snow.’_ No, it was honestly just factual, but...

But it was _Kurosawa._ Having evidently planned a getaway weekend for them. Together. Alone. Somewhere with snow. Knowing Kurosawa’s penchant for grand romantic gestures - and having been witness to quite a few of his fantasies - it wasn’t too hard to imagine what their trip could be like...

His mind started drifting, and soon Adachi was picturing the two of them walking together in a small mountain town, surrounded by snow, checking out the shops and tasting the local food… Maybe Kurosawa would hold his hand on the way back to the hotel if there weren’t too many people around, and his face would get cold but Kurosawa’s hands would be warm as they’d cup his cheeks, bringing him in for a kiss as soon as they’d reach their hotel room, and there would be a really nice view, and the hotel would have a onsen and—

_Wow, what—_

Adachi choked as he caught up with his own thoughts. He tried to cover it up with a cough, hoping that could also justify how bright red his face probably was. 

Alright, first of all, where had all those thoughts come from? Kurosawa was still at his desk, so it had to have been his own mind that had come up with all those images. Slightly concerning - but then again, maybe it didn’t need to be? In fact, Adachi had texted Tsuge the previous night to tell him that he was starting to become all mushy himself and needed his advice. And well... Actually, Tsuge had been rather unhelpful, only replying that Adachi should stop fighting it and just embrace it.

Well, really, if even Tsuge had become like this… Maybe there was indeed no use fighting it. Sure, it was quite disconcerting to catch himself thinking such things but… It was nice?

_Alright, alright, that was one thing, but... A onsen?_

He hadn’t been to that many over the course of his life, but it was still technically a rather common thing. Now, though, he would be going there with someone he _dated_ \- with someone that he, so far, had never even seen nak—

_I can’t do this._

Furiously biting his nails, Adachi was staring blankly at his computer screen as his thoughts kept racing. He just couldn’t do it. Not if there were other people around, no way. Maybe it would be easier if it was just the two of them - maybe they could rent a private one - but still, still, at this stage in their relationship, it was kind of— 

He was startled out of his thoughts by his phone buzzing on his table once again. _Kurosawa._ He unlocked the screen, and almost choked again at the message. _‘Stop touching your lips, it’s distracting.’_ He stared with wide eyes at the few nails he’d been abusing, then looked over his shoulder. Sure enough, Kurosawa was looking right at him, visibly chuckling, the cheeky little— 

Adachi’s phone vibrated once again and he turned back to look at his messages. _‘Don’t worry so much. I know you, don’t I?’_ He closed his eyes and smiled, feeling some kind of emotional whiplash run through him. Somehow it always happened with Kurosawa, didn’t it? He would get Adachi completely wired over something, but he would also always manage to calm him down. It was almost scary, how well the man understood him. Scary, but… Mostly nice, in that way that made Adachi feel warm all over as his nerves calmed down, and also made him long for the time when they could be together just the two of them again.

He glanced over his shoulder again, giving Kurosawa a small smile. A fond expression lit up his boyfriend’s eyes and Adachi’s smile only grew wider, until he had the common sense to try and compose his expression again. 

_Right._ Adachi turned back to his computer. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly and quietly. Wherever they were going, it didn’t have to be so scary. Because Kurosawa had shown over and over again that he would never want him to feel uncomfortable. It felt somehow redundant to remind himself _yet again_ of this fact, but it seemed that his brain still hadn’t completely caught up with it. 

Well, considering he had never had anyone care for him like that before, maybe it wasn’t that weird that he wouldn’t get used to it immediately. But he certainly enjoyed the calming and heartwarming feeling that washed over him every time the realization hit again.

So, yes. They were going away somewhere. Just them. And honestly, it made Adachi so _happy_ \- and not only because he never really went anywhere himself. These past few weeks had been utterly exhausting, between the competition and everything that had happened with Kurosawa. Even now, he was still a mess of nerves. At least things between them were good again. _Better than good,_ his brain supplied, and it was a struggle to stop himself from smiling. Really, despite the numerous heart attacks induced by his boyfriend at work, the time they spent alone was when he felt the most comfortable. 

Which might actually be a reasonable explanation as to why Adachi had been thinking more and more about taking that last step and forsaking his powers. And so, this trip… If he was thinking about it calmly instead of panicking over what were, ultimately, unimportant details… This weekend could be...

After all, it was just what he had been thinking earlier in the morning. That he didn’t want that particular moment to be rushed. 

Did Kurosawa have that in mind when planning their trip? 

Probably, Adachi thought, but then again he likely would never assume anything. And Adachi knew that, just like for their first kiss, if anything was going to happen then he was the one who would have to initiate it. Images flashed in his mind - of that night after the competition debacle, when he had asked Kurosawa to… When he had wanted so badly to lose the magic that he would have been ready to…

Adachi shook his head quickly, shivering at the memory. Everything about that had been wrong, and he certainly didn’t want to reenact any part of it. So, no matter how he would choose to broach the subject, it would _definitely_ have to be different. That being said, if he thought back to earlier this morning… Maybe he didn’t need to talk extensively about it. Just like he had found a way to show Kurosawa that it was okay to kiss him, he could probably find a way to keep his boyfriend right _there_ when he’d try to put on the brakes. 

Somehow that idea felt… Well it didn’t feel that bad. It reminded him of before the whole competition and breakup mess, when he’d already started entertaining the idea… 

Because, really, if it was with Kurosawa, then...

It was actually a rather sobering feeling. Knowing that he didn’t _have_ to do anything if it didn’t feel right. But also, knowing that he, in fact, _wanted_ to. 

When they had met again on that roof there had been too much at once to consider, and then it had felt so nice to just _enjoy_ being with each other during the weekend… But now… Now…

He risked a glance behind his shoulder once more. Kurosawa was busy working on something, and Adachi caught himself smiling at the slight crease between his eyebrows, and the way his eyes were focused on what he was doing. He didn’t linger, and quickly turned back to his own work.

It wasn’t about the magic. Whether it was there or not didn’t matter, never mind the whole inappropriate office flirting thing. It was just about them, and what they shared with each other. And Adachi wanted to share everything with Kurosawa.

Resting his chin on his hand, Adachi sighed quietly. Alright, it was slightly weird how much calmer he felt now, when he had been in full-blown panic mode only minutes ago - but whatever. It was actually the first time he had felt so calm at work this week, so he was going to enjoy it. Hopefully, it would last until the next day so he could finish the week in peace.

* * *

It didn’t last until the next day. 

Somehow, the rest of Wednesday had gone relatively smoothly. There had, of course, been a few instances when Kurosawa had made him jump, and he’d been lost in his thoughts quite a few times as well… But he had felt good, and his thoughts had mostly been filled with nice, comfortable daydreams about their upcoming trip. As if realizing what he wanted had somehow solved most of the problems he had created for himself.

Well, it had certainly solved the onsen problem. Partially at least. There was still no way he would go with Kurosawa to a public one. But anyway, that little detail wasn’t what was making him lose his mind _again._

Today was finally New Year’s eve, but Adachi still had to work before heading to his mother’s house. Kurosawa, unfortunately, was going to be away the entire day on a last minute sales trip, so they had had to say their goodbyes in the morning. Actually, Adachi had almost run late as they had struggled quite a bit to finally let go of each other. It was funny in a way, how much more they seemed to crave each other’s presence and touch since Christmas. Not that it was a bad thing. 

And so, speaking of craving… 

Adachi’s little realization the previous day may have brought him some momentary peace of mind, but that had all gone out the window the moment they had been alone again. It wasn’t so much that the idea was still making him anxious - well, kind of; he was still avoiding thinking too hard about the technicalities of it all... But no, it was more… 

Well, he had suddenly noticed that he felt a lot more attuned to every little thing Kurosawa did. Things that Adachi hadn’t particularly paid attention to before had now become extremely distracting - such as the way Kurosawa’s hands moved when he was cooking, or the way the muscles in his neck moved when he was speaking… And so, when they had moved on to the couch to watch a movie, Kurosawa sitting behind him, one arm holding him close, the fingers of his free hand tracing soft patterns on the inside of Adachi’s wrist, his breath softly tickling his neck… Adachi had felt _very_ close to losing his resolve to wait until their trip. 

Of course, it hadn’t helped that Kurosawa sometimes would forget himself for a moment and allow Adachi to witness some of his more self-indulgent fantasies. While it always felt so weird to Adachi to see himself in those situations, this time he had tried to pay more attention to Kurosawa’s thoughts - to what he wanted, what he seemed to like… And, alright, that one where Kurosawa was kissing down his neck had looked rather nice... Actually Adachi had almost wanted him to do it just then considering his lips had already been almost touching his skin, but saying the words had once again felt way too daunting.

Either way, it had taken quite some time for Adachi to manage to fall asleep. And now, he was at work, feeling rather tired yet completely wired, and his mind full of way too many images. 

Maybe it was a good thing that Kurosawa wasn’t here today because Adachi might actually lose his mind.

Of course, this was the exact moment Kurosawa decided to send him a message. And of course, the moment Adachi read it, his agitation immediately died down, leaving room for the warmest, fondest feeling.

 _‘I’ll miss you tonight. I’m sure I won’t sleep half as good without you next to me.’_ Alright, it was kind of mushy, but it was Kurosawa so of course it was, and really it didn’t matter because… Because… 

Well, because truthfully, Adachi felt the same. He knew that realistically he probably would go back to his place from time to time in the future, but right now he just didn’t feel like it. Not yet. Not when they had only gotten back together; not when he finally felt so comfortable, so ready to fully embrace their relationship. So, yes, he was definitely going to miss Kurosawa tonight, the warmth of his arms around him, or the way he could hear his heart beat when he rested his head against his boyfriend’s chest. 

Once again, Adachi marvelled at how easily Kurosawa could calm him down by simply reminding how good they were together, how natural things felt between them. That he was able to do this while he was away and technically shouldn’t be able to know that Adachi was panicking was rather amazing. 

Adachi just loved him so much, he could barely comprehend it sometimes. Maybe that was why he felt everything so intensely lately, because loving Kurosawa and being loved by him was still all so new he still hadn’t had the time to get used to it. And maybe, that was also why he needed to be constantly reminded that his daydreams and fantasies didn’t need to be scary - because the moment he would want to have them become real, he wouldn’t be going through it alone. 

He bit his lip, hoping to prevent the rush of emotions he was feeling to show on his face. _‘I’ll miss you too,’_ he typed back quickly. When Kurosawa texted back almost immediately, a heart emoji and a promise to text him at midnight, Adachi could only resort to hiding his happiness behind his hands. 

* * *

Somehow the work day ended, and Adachi went back to his apartment to pack before heading to his mother’s place. It was a relatively short train ride, so that was convenient - and would make it easy to meet Kurosawa at Ueno station the next morning. 

It felt rather nice to be back at his mother’s apartment. He always thought he should visit more often, but in the end he always got caught up in his own routine. They mainly kept in touch via text and the occasional phone call. It wasn’t that their relationship was bad - on the contrary, they were pretty close. Just… Days sort of tended to become muddled together and he wouldn’t really notice time passing by. Maybe now that his daily life had been rather shaken up, he might think about popping by more often.

Maybe, one day, he could also bring Kurosawa along. He certainly wasn’t ready to even talk about him with his mother just yet, but the thought itself was nice.

“You seem different,” his mother said. She set two servings of the traditional toshikoshi soba in front of them and joined him under the warm kotatsu. Midnight was drawing near and the television was on in the background, but Adachi hadn’t been paying it much attention. 

“Really?” Adachi asked, jumping a little. He’d been lost in his thoughts quite a lot, true, but it wasn’t exactly a new occurrence for him. The object of his thoughts, however… Well, that was another story.

His mother smiled, studying him for a moment. “I don’t know. You seem more relaxed. And you having plans tomorrow is quite unusual… So I was wondering if something had happened.”

Adachi felt himself shrink a little under his mother’s gentle but inquisitive eyes. Alright, how was he going to explain that in a way that wouldn’t raise her suspicions even more. “I don’t know… Things have been a bit more fun at work I guess? I’ve been talking more with some colleagues recently.”

“Look at you, finally making friends after all these years at Toyokawa,” she teased, laughing at the way Adachi frowned at her. “Either way I’m glad. And so, tomorrow, you’re meeting with them?”

“Ah, well, tomorrow…” Adachi swallowed. He didn’t want to outright _lie_ and say that it was a group thing. The part about talking to more people wasn’t too far from the truth, after all he’d gotten a little closer to Fujisaki-san and Rokkaku as well. But this… Oh well. Maybe he was just overanalyzing things because he knew the truth. Friends could very well go on a trip together. “It’s just one colleague. He’s not enjoying the holidays with his family too much, apparently they’re a bit overbearing… So he suggested going away somewhere. And you know I never get much chance to go anywhere, so I thought, why not?”

“Indeed, Tsuge never seemed to me like he’d make a very enthusiastic travel partner,” she chuckled. “He’s too set in his own routine. But I’m happy for you. Where are you going?”

Adachi’s eyes grew wide as he tried to rein in his panic. “Ah— Um, I’m not sure actually? Somewhere in the mountains.” He could see wheels turning in his mother’s head so he quickly tried to fall back on his feet. “I mean, it was a bit last minute so we weren’t sure where we’d be able to book anything. It was easier to let him handle that part - he’s been traveling more often than me, so.”

His mother studied him for a little longer, and Adachi hated that he absolutely couldn’t read her look - and she was sitting too far for him to read her thoughts. Eventually, her gaze softened and she leaned back on her arms, extending her legs under the kotatsu. “Well that sounds nice, I suppose. Let me know where you end up going. I’d love to see some photos.”

“Sure,” Adachi said, quickly taking another mouthful of soba. He only realized that his mother’s feet were touching his under the table when he heard her inner voice. _“I wonder if he talked about a male colleague because he doesn’t want to tell me he’s got a girlfriend… Or maybe it really is a man.”_ Adachi raised his head in alarm, but his mother’s attention wasn’t on him anymore. Her head was turned towards the TV, and she had a contemplative look on her face. _“Oh well. Whoever that person is, he does seem happier. And it’s about time he found someone who cares for him. I just hope he’ll be able to tell me eventually.”_

Suddenly she turned to face him and he almost jumped. “Happy new year,” she said warmly, and Adachi realized the countdown had ended. 

“Happy new year,” he replied, trying not to sound too frazzled by what he had just heard. He shifted a bit under the table to put some distance between them. His phone vibrated then, and he couldn’t hold back his smile when he saw who it was.

“Is it Tsuge? Wish him a happy new year from me too,” his mother said.

“Ah— no, it’s—” Adachi stammered. He glanced back at his phone, seeing the traditional new year greeting, followed by some more heart emojis. Another message appeared then - _‘See you tomorrow, I can’t wait’_ \- and Adachi’s smile only grew wider. He swallowed hard, then took a deep breath before looking up at his mother again. “It’s, um, the colleague I’m meeting tomorrow. Kurosawa.” It probably wasn’t much information, but there was no way he would have been able to say anything else. Still, having said Kurosawa’s name out loud already felt like a huge achievement. 

His mother seemed to understand, though. She remained quiet for a few seconds, looking like she was considering what to say. Her expression grew fond and she seemed to be holding back a grin. “Tell me more about him sometimes. He sounds like a good friend.”

Well, that was certainly one way to put it. Adachi nodded at her quickly then waved his phone around slightly. “Right. I’m— I’m just going to reply,” he said. His heart was somehow beating way too fast as he could still feel her gaze on him when he looked down at his phone. Well, technically he knew that his mother _very strongly_ suspected something was going on, so… 

Then again, she had also seemed like she wouldn’t mind it so much if he was dating another man. Not that he had been too worried about it, knowing her, but it was nice to have confirmation. It would certainly be helpful in the future, when he would finally gather the courage to tell her.

Even though he knew it would be a while before he felt comfortable broaching the subject, maybe… Maybe he could picture another New Year’s eve where it wouldn’t just be the two of them here. Kurosawa could be sitting with them under the kotatsu, probably marvelling at Adachi’s mother’s soba - when the man could seriously open a restaurant of his own. They’d laugh together, and then wish each other a happy new year in person instead of having to do it via text messages.

He wasn’t sure when this could become real, but he could definitely picture it as he typed the traditional greeting back and sent it to Kurosawa. _‘See you tomorrow,’_ he typed afterwards, biting his lip as his thumb hovered over the keyboard for a few seconds, before he finally added the heart emoji and hit send again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much happened here that wasn't planned haha - like the first scene? Adachi was supposed to reply and they were just going to have the "what are your plans" convo in bed. But no, they decided to make out instead. But eh, who's complaining?
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed it! I really wanted to add a scene of Adachi with his mother, thinking about Kurosawa :)
> 
> Next time... They'll go on their trip... And maybe Adachi will find the courage to tell/show Kurosawa what he wants... ;) I'll do my best again, until then, take care!!
> 
> _EDIT: Well, guys, I have too many ideas left to just end in one chapter, sooooo there should in fact be 5 chapters! Who saw that coming XD_


	4. Dancing in a snow globe ‘round and ‘round

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"It was as if they were alone. Just the two of them, holding each other so tight, standing on top of a mountain and surrounded by snow. Adachi wanted to hold on to this moment so badly, he almost never wanted to open his eyes for fear of breaking it."_
> 
> Adachi and Kurosawa go to the mountains on New Year's day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The summary is very brief, but honestly aside from mentioning that these two are being absolute saps the entire time there wasn't much else to add haha. Damn this chapter, I had to hide my face in a pillow multiple times when writing because I couldn't handle them sometimes. Well, in any case, I hope you guys will enjoy it :)
> 
> I want to really thank all of you again for your support, your comments, your kudos - it's so incredibly motivating and I don't think I've ever managed to write so much so fast (usually I try to have most chapters done before posting a multichapter story so I can make sure to update regularly... but this time I'm just writing one chapter after the other, and it's really thanks to you all that I manage to push myself so much!!) (Also I am sorry I keep adding chapters, I swear this is the last time haha)
> 
> And of course, many many thanks to [call_me_origami](https://archiveofourown.org/users/call_me_origami/pseuds/call_me_origami) for your help beta-ing this story!!! <3

A comfortable silence had settled between them. Adachi was looking out the train’s window, watching the scenery pass by, while Kurosawa was reading a book in the seat next to him. Tiredness was catching up with him and he had to hold back a yawn. To be fair, it had taken him quite a while to fall asleep the previous night - whether it had been because of Kurosawa’s absence or the anticipation of their trip, he wasn’t sure. But either way, he also had had to get up early to visit the temple with his mother, so he had ended up getting only a few hours of sleep.

The small charm he had bought at the temple was still safely tucked away in one of his coat pockets. He knew it wasn’t much in comparison with everything Kurosawa was doing for him, but he just… he had wanted to give him _something._ He just wasn’t sure when he would get the nerves to do it, but hopefully, once they reached their destination, it would be easier to find a moment.

His heart sped up a little as he recalled meeting Kurosawa at the station earlier - the blinding smile on his boyfriend’s face as he had handed him out a train ticket. “Does Ikaho Onsen sound alright?” Kurosawa had asked, his voice carrying a slight edge of worry. But Adachi’s eyes had widened and he had all but bounced on the spot. “Really?” Truthfully, even if it had been somewhere else he would have had the same reaction, but now he was able to picture things more clearly. Not that he knew much about that place, just what he’d seen in tourism ads here and there, but that was more than enough. 

Either way, he had definitely felt a rush of excitement at the revelation. And Kurosawa had seemed to have noticed, based on the way his smile had widened as he had pressed the ticket in Adachi’s hand. _“I just want to hold him… Ah but there are too many people, he wouldn’t…”_ Hearing this, Adachi had tightened his fingers around Kurosawa’s hand. He definitely hadn't felt brave enough to step forward and hug his boyfriend like he deserved it - but he could at least do that. He had allowed their hands to linger for a little longer than strictly necessary, his thumb gently brushing Kurosawa’s knuckles as he had slowly pulled back, taking the ticket. The way Kurosawa had looked back at him just then had been way worth the brief anxiety he had felt at doing this in such a public place.

Still, even now, he couldn’t help but feel like he wanted to do _more._ Kurosawa was always so caring, so thoughtful that Adachi could barely keep up with all the ways he kept showing him how much he loved him. And yet, whenever Adachi did the smallest, most insignificant thing in comparison, Kurosawa would look at him like he had hung the stars. So, while Adachi knew it would take him time, he was going to try his best to one day be able to give back at least some of the affection he kept receiving.

And if he was truly honest, right now… he sort of _missed_ Kurosawa? Which was insane, right? After all, they were sitting right next to each other, going on this trip, but… 

He just wanted to be _alone_ with him again. To not have to worry about other people and just… _be_ with him. 

He glanced at Kurosawa, taking in his boyfriend’s focused expression. Adachi’s eyes lingered on the lines of Kurosawa’s face, the shape of his jaw, the way his hair fell gently on the side, almost hiding his eyes from Adachi’s view. Adachi’s fingers were itching with the urge to brush some of it away so that he could truly see Kurosawa’s eyes; he wanted to feel that smooth skin under his fingertips, and maybe Kurosawa would look away from his book and lean towards him, and—

“Adachi?” 

Adachi jumped, having no idea since when Kurosawa had in fact been looking back at him. He had certainly noticed him staring, if the amused glint in his eyes was any indication. “Ah— Um, sorry, I’m just. I—” He stammered, looking away.

Those daydreams were really getting out of hand.

His boyfriend chuckled softly and Adachi immediately looked back at him. Kurosawa’s expression had turned soft, his smile warm and fond. “You look a bit tired.” Adachi nodded briefly. Kurosawa checked his watch. “We still have about an hour left. You can sleep, I will wake you.”

Actually, it wasn’t such a bad idea. Getting some more sleep would probably help with his nerves, and he could probably get a bit closer to Kurosawa without it being too conspicuous. He hummed in agreement, then shifted in his seat until his arm was pressed against his boyfriend’s. He closed his eyes, letting his head fall back against the seat. 

He didn’t see Kurosawa’s expression when he moved closer, but he could probably guess it from the onslaught of love and happiness that coursed through him the moment their arms touched. _“Sleep well,”_ was the only distinct thought that reached him, along with a vision of Adachi fast asleep, with his head resting on Kurosawa’s shoulder.

Well, he supposed his head might end up falling a little while he was sleeping. And if it did end up on Kurosawa’s shoulder... that probably wouldn’t be the worst thing. With that thought, Adachi relaxed a little more in his seat and soon allowed sleep to overcome him.

* * *

Adachi had sort of expected a nice hotel - it was Kurosawa, after all, he would have wanted to go all out. However, he certainly hadn’t expected it to be _this_ nice. Somehow… he felt a little out of place. Which was stupid, he knew it, because the few other guests he had seen were just families or other people wearing large winter coats like him. Really, he didn’t look much less stylish than anyone here. Well, except Kurosawa - but Adachi had already accepted that his boyfriend looked good in pretty much every situation. Not that he particularly minded.

Distracting thoughts aside, he was grateful for the glances that Kurosawa kept shooting at him while he was checking them in. Those were grounding him a bit, preventing him from feeling too overwhelmed in the hotel’s rather large lobby. The atmosphere was one of a traditional ryokan, yet the place was huge and absolutely spotless. He could see the garden from a window - perfectly maintained, with a small zen garden and a seated area where people could drink tea. It felt like one of those luxurious places he would see on TV, but never would have dreamt of ever going there himself. 

He caught Kurosawa’s eyes again, before his boyfriend turned back to talk to a woman from the staff. Adachi smiled slightly. Ever since they’d gotten closer, he’d done so many things he never would have dreamt of doing. While those new experiences had always made him nervous, he had always ended up loving them. Still, he felt kind of uneasy - how much exactly had Kurosawa spent on this trip? He didn’t seem like he had any kind of money trouble, but—

“So, our room will be ready in about two hours. What do you say we go explore the town and come back later?”

Adachi blinked, jumping once again as Kurosawa interrupted his train of thought. “Ah… Sure,” he replied, then quickly retrieved his hat, scarf and gloves from his bag so he could leave it at the reception. He followed Kurosawa outside then, burying his nose in his scarf as the cold hit him.

He realized then that Kurosawa had stopped and was just looking at him with that utterly enamored look he only reserved for Adachi. “K— Kurosawa?” Adachi asked, feeling himself blush under the intensity of his boyfriend’s gaze.

Kurosawa shook his head. “Nothing. This just really suits you,” he said, stepping closer and adjusting Adachi’s scarf around his neck. _“...so adorable like this,”_ Adachi heard. Somehow the situation took him back to a few months ago; except this time Kurosawa was wearing the scarf he had lent Adachi that night, and Adachi wasn’t scared or trying to run away… And, most importantly, Kurosawa’s smile was relaxed and genuine. It wasn’t the one he always would put on to protect himself, back when he used to think he didn’t have a chance with Adachi. 

Adachi loved Kurosawa’s real smile. He loved how often he got to see it whenever they were together. It was still hard for him to believe that he could be the cause of it… But he would do whatever he could to make sure Kurosawa kept smiling like that.

Kurosawa was eventually satisfied with Adachi’s scarf - whether or not he had lingered a bit on purpose, Adachi neither knew nor cared. As he pulled his hand away, Kurosawa let the tip of his thumb brush across Adachi’s cheek. The same image from a few months before flashed through his mind, but this time it was from Kurosawa’s perspective - along with an intense feeling of gratitude. _“I never would have imagined then… Being here with you…”_

Adachi took a quick step to the side and sniffed, feeling tears well up in his eyes. He quickly brushed them away, then gave Kurosawa a breathless smile. “You can’t… do this to me. We’re barely even out of the hotel.”

“Sorry,” Kurosawa chuckled. Adachi could see that his eyes were shining with unshed tears as well. “Shall we go, then?” He said, pointing towards the street. Adachi nodded, and they quietly fell into step next to each other.

They reached the stone stairs that led upwards through the mountain town. Most of the fresh snow had been pushed to the side of the steps, but there was still a fine layer of snow covering them. Adachi could feel it crackle under his feet as they slowly made their way up. It felt like one of the many daydreams he’d been having these past few days, strangely familiar and comfortable, so much that he had a permanent smile on his face as they walked through the town. 

They stopped a few times along the way to check out souvenir shops, making note of what they would want to bring back to Tokyo. They also took a short break near the top of the stairs, to treat themselves with some onsen manju. The warmth of the steamed bun was a welcome one against Adachi’s fingers, and he couldn’t hold back a delighted exclamation at the sweet taste. 

“It’s so good!” He said again, briefly glancing away when he saw the way Kurosawa was looking at him. “Don’t look at me like that,” he mumbled, hiding his smile in his scarf.

“Like what?”

Adachi rolled his eyes fondly at the overly innocent tone his boyfriend always used. “Like— You know. It’s not fair, when we’re in public like this.”

Kurosawa closed his eyes for a second and bit his lip. When he opened his eyes again, Adachi definitely didn’t need to touch him to know that he was desperately holding back from hugging him. “What’s not fair… is you telling me such things.” 

Adachi chuckled and looked away again, fully aware that the blush on his face had very little to do with the cold by now. He wasn’t sure how to reply to this - and quite frankly he was also struggling not to close the distance between them. He needed to change the subject. After taking another bite of his manju, he managed to look up again. “So, um… What do we do next?”

Kurosawa’s features softened in understanding. He checked his watch and sighed softly. “Well, we still have some time. We could either go visit the shrine, or check out the view from the top of the ropeway.” Adachi’s eyes widened at the mention of the ropeway and Kurosawa immediately smiled. “Ah, ropeway it is, then.”

Feeling himself blush even more, Adachi nodded quickly. Damn this man and how easily he could read him. Adachi just wanted to… Well. Better not go down that road just yet, not when they couldn’t get any kind of privacy. 

They made it to the observation deck at the top of the ropeway. The crowds going up had made it easy for them to stand against each other in the gondola, Adachi leaning into Kurosawa’s warmth despite himself. He had tried to focus on the scenery, but Kurosawa had kept thinking about how much he wanted to wrap his arms around him and, just… Eventually, Adachi had closed his eyes, embracing the vision and pretending it was really happening. 

After that, it was as though they couldn’t handle any kind of distance between them. They walked all the way to the edge of the observation deck, so close that their arms were almost constantly touching. Eventually they found a free spot to lean against the railing, standing probably way too close to each other to pass off as just friends - but Adachi found that he was past caring about that. 

The view was just so beautiful, so calming somehow. There was a constant stream of warm and loving thoughts flowing through him from where their arms were pressed against each other, making his heart ache in the best way possible. He shifted a bit closer against his boyfriend and sighed happily. “Thank you. For bringing me here.”

Kurosawa turned to him, his expression soft. “If you like it here, then I’m happy.” He turned back to the scenery. _“Next year… Let’s go somewhere where we can watch the sunrise together,”_ he thought.

Adachi chuckled. “You always go all out, don’t you? But really, you don’t have to, you know… It’s just like you said, I— I’m just happy to be with you.”

 _“I love you so much,”_ came the thought, and Adachi could see Kurosawa had once again closed his eyes to collect himself. “Ah but, maybe I just want to make those moments with you special. After all…” He turned to face Adachi. “You are special to me.”

Adachi quickly looked away, blinking back tears once again. It was almost too much sometimes, the way Kurosawa loved him. After spending his entire life thinking he was so ordinary, so _boring,_ to have someone… No, not just _someone_ \- to have _Kurosawa_ say that he, _Adachi,_ was special, it was… 

Well, to be honest, a large part of him still felt very inadequate. But the other part of him longed to be deserving of the way Kurosawa thought of him. He remembered the charm he had bought in the morning. It was still in his pocket, and suddenly it almost felt like it was burning a hole through it. It was a small thing, and somehow it felt even more insignificant now that he was here, that he’d seen the hotel they would be staying at, but… 

But maybe, in this moment, it would be enough.

He shifted back a little so he could take off his gloves and reach into his pocket, then turned to face Kurosawa. His boyfriend gave him a curious look as he held the tiny paper bag up with both hands. “I— For you. I got it this morning at the temple; it’s nothing, but—”

Kurosawa also quickly removed his gloves and reached out to take the small bag, holding it delicately as though it was the most precious thing in the world. Adachi’s heart was racing as his boyfriend took out the small charm, and he felt somewhat ridiculous to be getting so anxious over such a simple thing. 

But then Kurosawa was glancing between him and the charm he was cradling in his hand, and he had a similar look on his face as the first time Adachi had asked him out for dinner. It made Adachi’s heart speed up even more, and he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I know that it’s— I mean, I thought of getting us some for our relationship, but my mother was with me, and, well… She definitely suspects something, but still, I can’t— Not yet.” He stopped to breathe, and tried to organize his thoughts. “Anyway, I thought… I do want you to be happy. So, that’s why I got you the one for happiness.”

Kurosawa’s hand closed tightly around the charm, and before Adachi could realize it, he was pulled into a bone-crushing hug. _“Sorry,”_ he heard inside his head. _“I couldn’t hold back. You’re just so…”_ Adachi tensed briefly, but it was more from the shock than anything else. The way Kurosawa was holding him, he could only look out of the observation deck into the distance. If there were people looking, well, he wasn’t aware of it. Somehow that was enough to settle him - that and the waves of loving thoughts that kept washing over him through the hug.

“Thank you,” Kurosawa said against his ear, his voice wavering. _“...so thoughtful. So sweet.”_ Adachi let out a breathless chuckle and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s back, fingers tightening in the fabric of his coat. Kurosawa’s breath hitched, and Adachi felt his boyfriend’s arms tighten around him, pulling him impossibly close. Closing his eyes, Adachi rested his head against Kurosawa’s and tried to forget about other people being here. If he focused on the way he felt, on the thoughts and feelings that Kurosawa was sharing with him, he could almost completely tune out the sound of conversations around them. 

It was as if they were alone. Just the two of them, holding each other so tight, standing on top of a mountain and surrounded by snow. Adachi wanted to hold on to this moment so badly, he almost never wanted to open his eyes for fear of breaking it.

He did though, eventually, if only because he kept feeling something cold touch his face over and over. As his eyes focused on his surroundings again, he realized it had started to snow. 

“Ah, Kurosawa, look!” He said. Kurosawa’s hold around him loosened and Adachi took a small step back so he could look up and around. The snow was only falling gently, but somehow it made him feel a little giddy. Or maybe that was just because of how happy he already felt. 

Adachi heard Kurosawa’s laugh, and he saw that his boyfriend wasn’t looking at the falling snow. He was looking at Adachi, eyes bright and shining, his most blinding smile lighting up his face. Snowflakes were getting caught on his hat, on his coat - and some of them were lingering on the dark strands of hair that were sticking out from under his hat. His cheeks were slightly red from the cold, and he looked just so _happy,_ and really…

_He’s beautiful._

The thought struck Adachi, along with the sudden urge to pull his boyfriend into a kiss… If only he was brave enough to do it here… Because, really, he— 

“Shall we head back?” Kurosawa asked, interrupting his thoughts. Although, judging by the way he was looking at him, Adachi was sure he must have had quite similar things in mind. He slipped the charm in the breast pocket inside his coat, his eyes never leaving Adachi’s. “This way we can unpack before dinner.” 

Adachi exhaled a shuddering breath and nodded quickly, feeling too wired to be able to speak. The idea of going back to the hotel made him suddenly hyper aware of the direction his thoughts were taking - and he was definitely _not_ thinking about unpacking. His mind was providing him with quite a few vivid images - of Kurosawa pulling him into a devastating kiss the moment they stepped inside, of them making out on a soft bed, Kurosawa’s hands slipping under his t-shirt, his back arching into the touch and—

_Wait._

He looked down to his side, his eyes wide and his heart racing. Kurosawa still had one hand on his arm, so those thoughts…

“Ah, sorry,” Kurosawa said, quickly removing his hand as if it had been burnt. He averted his eyes, biting his lip sheepishly.

“Ah, no… it’s…” Adachi started, his voice coming out a bit too high. He took a deep breath and tried to speak again. _Do I dare say it?_ “I was more surprised because I—” Kurosawa turned back to him and their eyes met. _Oh, well._ “At first I thought those were… Well. My own thoughts,” he said, so quickly and quietly that he wasn’t sure whether Kurosawa would hear it. In any case, he was definitely _not_ going to repeat it.

Kurosawa blinked at him, and if the strangled chuckle that escaped him was any indication, he had perfectly heard what Adachi had said. Adachi wasn’t entirely certain whether he wanted the ground to swallow him for having said that - or whether he felt proud of the way his words seemed to have affected his boyfriend. 

His eyes dark and piercing, Kurosawa shook his head slowly and smiled at him. “I suppose I’ve earned some payback for all those times at the office… But still, Adachi… You’re being unfair.”

Adachi smiled back and chuckled softly. “Let’s head back,” he replied simply, because he just needed everyone else to _not_ be here.

Kurosawa nodded quietly. Adachi saw him glance down quickly towards his lips, and he couldn’t help but do the same. The hotel just really felt… so far. Adachi turned his eyes towards the ropeway station, but there were way too many people for them to hope getting a gondola all to themselves. 

Ah, well. He could be patient. As they walked back to the station, he shot a quick look at his boyfriend. Speaking of patience, he was still amazed that this man had waited _so long_ for him. And even now, he kept waiting, letting Adachi decide their pace, never rushing things or pushing him out of his comfort zone.

His chest tightened as his heart sped up a little. Maybe it was from the anticipation, or the nerves - most likely both, if he was being honest. He had been thinking about it quite a lot the past few days, but he had never been as sure as he was now in this moment.

Stepping inside the gondola, he took advantage of the crowds once again and pressed himself against Kurosawa. _“Thank you, for being here. I love you.”_ He took a deep breath and hummed softly, hoping to convey that the thought was mutual, then closed his eyes. For the rest of the ride, he allowed himself to enjoy the gentle comfort of hearing Kurosawa’s thoughts - after all, it was one of the last times he could hear them...

Tonight, he would forsake his magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [More info about Ikaho Onsen and the stone stairs.](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7478.html) (I mainly chose this place because it wasn't too far, and also it kind of cracked me up that they had all those stairs after Kurosawa's failed "let's walk up the stairs together" attempt at flirting in episode 1...)  
> [The hotel I found for them.](https://www.oyado-tamaki.com/language/en/index.html) (Technically I couldn't find pics of the reception, so I kind of went with my own experience staying at the one stylish ryokan I went to once... But I liked the garden area, and also the room was important. Well, it'll be, next chapter haha.)
> 
> Anyway, I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!! As you can see, the sappiness took over and this chapter became way too long to add the rest to it... Obviously, next time things will get a little spicy, so beware if that's not your thing. (That said, I never write extremely explicit stuff, it's usually more about the feelings. Anyway. Guess it's time for me to write it now^^ I'll do my best again to update as soon as possible!!)
> 
> Take care, everyone :)


	5. If you want me, I'll be yours in this life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"It was just them. Not only tonight, but for the rest of their lives. They had found each other against all odds, and they probably still had a lot to work through - but they would do it together."_
> 
> The magic will disappear, but as long as they're together, all will be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, the last chapter of this story - and it's an extra long one! I honestly didn't think it would get so long... But I guess I just couldn't fast track anything with them. Like I said in the last chapter, this one is the "spicy" one - not particularly explicit, but still nsfw, even though it focuses more on their feelings (yes they're still being ginormous saps). But if you want to skip it, there's a sort of epilogue at the end so you can look for the separation line. 
> 
> I really hope you guys will enjoy this chapter. I loved writing it; it was kind of new to me to write such a slow smut scene as I usually tend to gloss over some stuff. But I guess kurodachi keeps making me do things I'm not used to doing haha! 
> 
> Thank you so much for all your support through this story!! I'm still baffled at the response this story has gotten in such a short time... Writing all this in one month has been an amazing adventure and I'm so happy to be part of the CM fandom!!
> 
> And also huge, huge thanks to [call_me_origami](https://archiveofourown.org/users/call_me_origami/pseuds/call_me_origami) for all your feedback and help, and to all the discord people for the constant motivation!!

Contrary to the vision they had shared at the top of the mountain, Kurosawa didn’t pull Adachi into a devastating kiss the second they stepped into their room. Adachi didn’t even realize it at first, busy as he was looking around the room with wide eyes. It was just so _huge,_ a perfect blend between Japanese and Western style - and that _view._ Even though it was starting to get dark, he could see it was going to be gorgeous, and they even had a balcony, and—

“Adachi?”

Adachi realized he was still standing there frozen, his bag still in his hands, having only just removed his shoes. Kurosawa was standing behind him, his own bag on the floor. His gaze was mostly fond and amused, yet it still carried the same fire and intensity it had during the whole way back to the hotel. Adachi swallowed, immediately brought back to the moment. 

_Oh, right._

Stepping into the room might have distracted him for a second, but now he was fully reminded of just how _wired_ he felt. They had kept exchanging rather heavily charged glances the whole way back, somehow walking faster and faster - and definitely not just because it had started snowing harder. 

And now - now they were _alone,_ finally, in this beautiful room, in this beautiful hotel, in this beautiful town, and Kurosawa looked even more beautiful now with the tip of his hair wet and all the snow that stuck to his clothes, and just— 

Adachi exhaled shakily and let his bag drop on the floor. Before he could even think about it, he had already grabbed the front of Kurosawa’s coat and pulled his boyfriend into a crushing kiss. 

Kurosawa all but melted against him, a soft gasp dying in his throat as he wrapped one arm tightly around Adachi’s shoulders. His other hand cupped Adachi’s jaw, gently tilting his head before he deepened the kiss.

Adachi’s head was spinning. His hands were gripping Kurosawa’s coat so strongly that his fingers were almost hurting. He had been wanting this, _craving_ this ever since they had met at the train station in the morning, and so, to be finally, _finally…_

Kurosawa’s hand moved to the back of his neck, the tip of his fingers slipping under Adachi’s hat. That was when he pulled back just a little, breaking the kiss only to push their foreheads together. “We should probably get out of these clothes,” Kurosawa said breathlessly. Adachi’s breath hitched and Kurosawa straightened immediately, blinking at Adachi as if he only just realized what he had said. “I— I only meant, with the snow melting on our coats and everything… I wouldn’t want you to catch a cold. I didn’t— We don’t—”

“No!” Adachi interrupted and Kurosawa froze, staring back at him with wide eyes. “I— Yes. I mean. Okay,” he stammered, his heart hammering in his chest. 

Kurosawa stayed silent for a moment, his brows furrowed in confusion. Eventually, he exhaled shakily. “You’re going to have to be a little more specific here.”

Adachi took a deep breath and swallowed hard. So much for hoping he wouldn’t have to use words in the heat of the moment. He bit his lip, looking into Kurosawa’s eyes as he tried to muster the courage to express what he wanted…

_I want…_

His mind supplied images, memories of all the times they had kissed before, of Kurosawa’s fingers running through his hair, brushing the sides of his face, of his hands slipping around Adachi’s shoulders, stroking down his back to settle at his waist - not too low, never too low, and always over clothing. Kurosawa was always so respectful of his boundaries, always holding himself back.

Adachi didn’t want him to hold back anymore. He didn’t want to hold back either. Mostly... he didn’t want to be scared anymore. He trusted Kurosawa with his entire being; he wanted to share everything with him - with this man, who loved him so much and whom he loved so much. He wanted—

“Adachi?” 

He blinked, realizing that Kurosawa was still staring back at him, frozen and looking increasingly concerned. “Right,” he exhaled quietly, before taking another deep breath. _I can do this._

Slowly, he let go of Kurosawa’s coat and moved his hands up to gently cup his boyfriend’s face. He slid his fingers in slightly wet hair, pushing Kurosawa’s hat out of the way inch by inch until it just slipped and fell to the floor. 

Kurosawa was watching him, transfixed, his hands hovering aimlessly at his side. Adachi couldn’t make out his thoughts; they were too jumbled, too confused to be perceived clearly. Maybe it was for the best; this way he wasn’t distracted by impromptu visions that might shatter his courage. He moved his hands lower, to the top of Kurosawa’s coat, and started unfastening it.

“We don’t… have to stop,” he said, his voice unsteady as he slowly began pushing Kurosawa’s coat off his shoulders. But before he could fully remove it, Kurosawa grabbed both his wrists.

“If this is because of what I said, or because we’re here… You don’t have to force yourself, you know.” His eyes were dark, his voice breathless, but worry was written all over his face. _“It’s not the reason I wanted to come here with you.”_

“I know all that,” Adachi replied quickly. “I’m not forcing myself. I—” He looked down quickly. He was breathing too fast and his voice caught in his throat. When he felt that he was able to speak again, he stared straight into Kurosawa’s eyes. “I want this. With you. I really do.”

Adachi caught the shift in Kurosawa’s expression. He felt the shudder that ran through him and made his hands shake where they were still loosely holding Adachi’s wrists. Kurosawa was looking back at him like he couldn’t believe what Adachi had just said, and he seemed to be holding back tears. 

“You… Now?” Kurosawa asked, apparently still needing confirmation. When Adachi nodded, he let go of his wrists. “I love you so much,” Kurosawa breathed out, his still trembling fingers moving up to slowly trace the lines of Adachi’s face.

Adachi couldn’t move anymore, his hands resting on Kurosawa’s chest as his boyfriend finally leaned forward and kissed him. It was such a slow, gentle kiss, and it made Adachi’s chest clench almost painfully. In a way, it reminded him of the first kiss they had shared on Christmas Eve, barely over a week ago. It was such a short time, and yet as they kept kissing Adachi felt as though he had been doing this his whole life. 

His hat joined Kurosawa’s on the floor as his boyfriend’s fingers slipped into his hair, and he wrapped his arms around Kurosawa’s neck to pull him closer. But Kurosawa pulled back at the same moment, looking deeply into Adachi’s eyes. “If it ever becomes too much, if you ever want to stop... Tell me, okay?” Adachi blinked, a bit dazed, before nodding again. Then, finally, as if he had finally caught up with what was happening, Kurosawa smiled. A breathless laugh escaped him and he pressed a short, but intense kiss against Adachi’s lips. “Let me just hang these so they will dry,” he said, before helping Adachi out of his coat and retrieving their hats off the floor. 

Adachi watched him hang all their clothes in the hallway, fidgeting a little with the strings of his hoodie. His nerves were definitely acting up, but he couldn’t deny that anticipation was the cause of at least half of the agitation he was feeling. When Kurosawa kissed him again, he tried to focus on that feeling only, on how he wanted to melt against his boyfriend’s lips, wrap himself in the warmth of his arms and forget about everything else. 

Kurosawa had his bag in one hand, the other moving to the small of Adachi’s back to slowly guide him further inside the room. Adachi went with him, his hands gripping the fabric of Kurosawa’s sweatshirt while his boyfriend kept kissing him in short, successive bursts as they walked. Adachi realized they were in a part of the room he hadn’t seen from the hallway, with two large beds covered with white, fluffy comforters. He wondered idly just how _big_ the room actually was, but decided to file the thought for later when Kurosawa distracted him with another kiss. 

The back of Adachi’s legs bumped into one of the beds and he heard the sound of Kurosawa’s bag hitting the floor. Immediately, both of Kurosawa’s arms were wrapped around him and he was kissing Adachi with renewed abandon. Kurosawa’s thoughts were swirling. Adachi couldn’t catch most of them; he could mainly feel all of Kurosawa’s love and gratitude enveloping him, and a growing sense of _need_ as his boyfriend’s control was slipping. Although by that point, Adachi was very much sharing that feeling.

Kurosawa’s hands moved to his hips, fingers twitching in the fabric of Adachi’s hoodie. A vision flashed through Adachi’s mind - almost too quick for him to really see it, but he definitely caught a glimpse of the both of them kissing on the bed without shirts on. His heart sped up. Part of him was still somewhat terrified, but deep down, truly, he wanted this - wanted to feel Kurosawa’s hands on his skin, really feel the warmth of his body against his. 

Before he could overthink it, he stepped back and climbed on the bed. Sitting on his knees, he held Kurosawa’s surprised gaze and swiftly took off both his hoodie and t-shirt. Kurosawa’s eyes widened and Adachi tried hard not to hyperventilate as those dark eyes traveled up and down his body. Tentatively, Adachi reached out and tugged slightly on Kurosawa’s sweatshirt. Their eyes finally met again, and it felt oddly grounding. In spite of the unrestrained fire in Kurosawa’s eyes, there was still the same affection, the same gentleness that always made Adachi feel at ease. 

He tugged again, a bit more sharply. Kurosawa blinked, as though he was finally catching up to the situation. He immediately joined Adachi on the bed, discarding his sweater and t-shirt as well. Adachi swallowed hard, watching his boyfriend kneel down in front of him. He couldn’t help but stare as well - _of course_ the man was breathtaking; Adachi had expected it, but still… His eyes traveled along Kurosawa’s collarbones, down his toned chest to his abs - and _down._ Adachi bit his lower lip at the sight of his boyfriend’s arousal straining against his pants. Not that he wasn’t just as affected himself, but—

“Adachi?”

Adachi looked up at Kurosawa. He felt so… unremarkable next to this gorgeous man; somehow it was making him even more nervous. But then Kurosawa took his hand, slowly, gently bringing it to his lips. He didn’t speak, but his thoughts did it in his place.

 _“So beautiful… I’m so lucky…”_ Adachi almost felt like he was about to cry. Kurosawa’s thoughts were always so sincere, so genuine. He couldn’t understand how someone like Kurosawa could find him attractive, but… maybe he didn’t have to. Maybe he only had to believe it. And considering the way Kurosawa was looking at him from behind his eyelashes, his lips still gently caressing his knuckles, Adachi could definitely feel the attraction. Another thought reached him, _“I want to kiss you all over,”_ and Adachi choked a little in surprise, his eyes widening.

“Can I?” Kurosawa asked quietly, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of Adachi’s hand. Unable to say anything, Adachi nodded mutely. Kurosawa smiled, turning his hand over to press another kiss to the palm of Adachi’s hand, and then to the pulse point on Adachi’s wrist. Kurosawa’s lips slowly trailed along Adachi’s arm, up to his shoulder, his collarbone, and when Kurosawa began kissing his neck Adachi felt like he was about to combust. 

Kurosawa’s hands settled over his hips, burning his skin, and Adachi’s arms flew around his boyfriend’s back as he desperately wanted something to hold on to. The way Kurosawa’s lips assaulted his neck had his head spinning and his breath catching in his throat as he tried not to gasp out loud. His fingers clenched suddenly, his nails digging into the skin of Kurosawa’s back - and Kurosawa moaned softly against Adachi’s ear. It was as if that sound had lit something inside of him, and Adachi was struck with the thought that he wanted, no, he _needed_ to hear it again. 

So, Adachi started trailing his nails up and down his boyfriend’s back, eliciting those soft noises again. The way Kurosawa kissed his neck became a bit more sporadic, and Adachi could feel the way his boyfriend’s grip on his hips had tightened, but somehow that only spurred him on more. Eventually though, Kurosawa retaliated by focusing on that spot behind Adachi’s ear, where that mole he knew Kurosawa loved was. Kurosawa kissed it a few times before sucking gently on the skin, and the noise that escaped Adachi’s throat when he did that was incredibly embarrassing. 

Then again, Kurosawa didn’t seem to share that opinion, because he immediately moved to capture Adachi’s mouth, giving him the most desperate kiss Adachi had ever received. Adachi was losing himself in the heady feeling, barely realizing that he was kissing Kurosawa back just as passionately. He only noticed when Kurosawa started pushing him down gently - and he went willingly, the kiss only breaking for a second as his head touched the pillow. 

Kurosawa was looking down at him with an intensity Adachi hadn’t ever seen before. Still, he looked almost unsure - questioning - and Adachi knew that he had to reassure him that he was still fine. He reached out slowly, cradling Kurosawa’s face and pulling him into another kiss. Kurosawa melted against him, and Adachi’s arms moved back around his boyfriend’s back, pulling him closer and closer until their chests were finally touching. The warmth of Kurosawa’s skin against his was almost too much, and Adachi couldn’t help but arching into it, his hips rolling up and—

_Oh—_

He hadn’t realized just how turned on he was until now. The feeling of their clothed erections pressing against each other was both so unexpected and so overwhelming that Adachi broke the kiss, his head falling backwards as he let out an embarrassing whimper. He noticed then that Kurosawa was watching him, his expression almost awestruck.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Adachi protested, looking away and trying to ignore just how rough his voice sounded.

Kurosawa only chuckled and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. “You have no idea what you do to me.” 

Adachi looked back up at his boyfriend, hearing unrestrained thoughts about how gorgeous Kurosawa found him and how amazing he sounded. It was definitely still embarrassing, but slightly empowering at the same time, so eventually Adachi chuckled in turn. “I think I have some ideas,” he said, and Kurosawa kissed him again.

This time, it was Kurosawa who started grinding his hips down, making them both moan into the kiss as a result. Desire felt like a coil deep in Adachi’s stomach, tightening more and more every time they moved against each other. Adachi was panting when the kiss broke again, and he was sure that he had to be looking like a complete mess. But when he looked up, he saw his boyfriend looking down at him, breathless, disheveled, his pupils blown wide - and somehow Kurosawa had never looked so attractive. It sent a sharp rush of _need_ coursing through his veins and he couldn’t help the way he squirmed a little, trying to get some more friction. 

One of Kurosawa’s hands trailed slowly down Adachi’s chest, stopping at the waistband of his pants. He looked up, and Adachi could feel his boyfriend’s hand tremble slightly over the skin of his stomach. “Is this okay?” Kurosawa asked. When Adachi only nodded, Kurosawa’s expression turned almost pained and he bit his lip. “Please… I need to be sure.”

This man. How was he still so considerate? Adachi himself already felt half out of his mind with need; it was only his anxiety that didn’t let him fully let go of his self control. And there was Kurosawa, who was just as far gone as he was, if the emotions flowing through Adachi were any indication… and yet, somehow, he was still thinking of Adachi’s boundaries first. How did this one man consistently find ways to make his heart melt? 

Adachi took a deep breath, his heart almost beating out of his chest. “Yes. Please,” he exhaled, and he could swear Kurosawa almost looked like he was about to cry. Adachi watched as Kurosawa slowly helped him out of his pants and underwear - and suddenly it was almost too much. It was as if he was watching the scene from the outside, and seeing himself laid down on this bed, fully naked... he felt way too exposed. He hid his face in his hands, trying to breathe and calm himself down.

That was when he felt a gentle hand on his arm. “Adachi?” He heard Kurosawa call, but could only nod weakly in response. “Adachi, look at me, please.” Adachi peeked behind his hands, and saw Kurosawa was looking at him in concern. “Is it too much? Do you want to stop?”

Adachi shook his head. “It’s just— Embarrassing,” he mumbled from behind his hands, and Kurosawa’s expression softened into something utterly fond. 

“Adachi, you’re beautiful,” Kurosawa said quietly. Adachi felt himself blush even more - if it was still possible - and looked away. “Would you feel better if we turned off the lights?”

He thought about it. Darkness would likely make him feel less exposed, but… He tried to imagine doing this without being able to look at Kurosawa, without being able to look into his eyes, and it just didn’t feel right. He looked back up at his boyfriend, into those eyes that always seemed as though they could look straight into his soul. Even if it felt unnerving at times, those eyes were also making him feel grounded. 

_Safe._

“No,” he said eventually, slowly removing his hands from his face. He took another deep breath. Alright, he _knew_ he wanted this. He could do this. “I want to see you,” he said. “I just need to… stop thinking so much.”

Kurosawa smiled at him, his eyes warm yet slightly teasing. “Maybe I can help with that,” he said, leaning forward to kiss Adachi. Adachi chuckled softly against his lips, and in a way it truly helped release some of the tension. Between the kiss, and the loving thoughts that Kurosawa was sharing with him, Adachi could feel his anxiety melt away slowly. 

With slightly trembling hands, he reached down for the buckle of Kurosawa’s belt. Kurosawa gasped, breaking the kiss and rested his forehead against Adachi’s. Adachi managed to unfasten the belt and unbutton Kurosawa’s pants, but he couldn’t bring himself to do more than that. He tugged briefly on the waistband of Kurosawa’s pants, before gripping his boyfriend’s hips and raising his head to kiss him again, hoping he would understand.

Kurosawa certainly seemed to get the message, somehow managing to kick off his own pants and underwear without breaking the kiss. As soon as he was done, he lowered his body over Adachi’s again. All of a sudden, every sensation felt so amplified that Adachi couldn’t help the way his fingers dug into the skin of Kurosawa’s back, nor the sound that escaped his throat. He had to break the kiss to catch his breath, then buried his face into the crook of Kurosawa’s neck to try and muffle the sounds that he couldn’t seem to hold back.

He lost track of time for a moment. The slide of skin on skin was sending his senses into overdrive and his brain was swimming. He was holding on to Kurosawa for dear life, grinding his hips up against him to chase more friction. It was so much, too much - and not enough at the same time. He could feel the edge looming over him, and maybe, if they kept going, he would— 

But that wasn’t what he wanted. It took all of his willpower, but Adachi managed to still Kurosawa’s hips with his hands. “Wait… Wait…” He panted, and saw Kurosawa was looking at him, his eyes slightly dazed. “I— I need…” He closed his eyes and tried to breathe. His thoughts were a complete mess; how could he even say what he wanted out loud? 

He opened his eyes again, and saw that Kurosawa was still waiting, ever so patient, yet his expression was definitely strained as he was struggling to hold back. “I want… Can we? You…” He glanced away briefly before looking back up at his boyfriend. Kurosawa’s features had softened, and Adachi could swear the man was trembling. 

“Are you sure?” Kurosawa asked, his voice wavering slightly.

Adachi knew what was coming, knew that it technically still kind of freaked him out… He had wanted to try it on his own after they had started dating, but in the end he had chickened out. He had just felt way too self-conscious alone in his bedroom. But now… Now that he was here, with Kurosawa’s eyes grounding him, his thoughts whispering tender and comforting words through every touch, he felt like he could handle it. 

He wanted it. Wanted more of Kurosawa’s touch, more of his warmth, more of everything. 

Adachi trusted him. And so, he was not going to run. Not anymore.

“Yes,” Adachi breathed out, and somehow, he had never been so sure of anything. Except maybe when he had promised to be with Kurosawa forever.

Kurosawa exhaled shakily and leaned forward to press a brief, but passionate kiss on his lips. “Just give me a second,” he said, before leaning over the edge of the bed. 

Adachi tried to ignore the cold that hit him now that Kurosawa’s body wasn’t covering his own anymore. He heard Kurosawa rummage through his bag. “So you did plan this, after all,” Adachi said, trying for some levity. 

Kurosawa chuckled as he hovered back over him, then placed a gentle kiss on Adachi’s forehead. “I didn’t want to assume anything. Honestly? I wasn’t expecting it, but… I was still hoping. And I guess, I wouldn’t have wanted to be unprepared in case… Well.” He sounded almost bashful as he spoke. Adachi found it utterly endearing.

“Well. Good foresight,” Adachi replied. They laughed softly together, their lips meeting yet again in a slow, sweet kiss. They kissed like that for a little while. It felt just... _nice._ Calming. Somehow it took a bit of the edge off, and Adachi felt that he was a lot less nervous. 

Eventually, Kurosawa pulled back to look at him. “Alright… I’ll go slow. Please tell me if it hurts, or if you want to stop, okay?” Adachi swallowed hard and nodded, hoping that would be enough confirmation this time.

He took in the sight of his boyfriend, naked, his skin flushed with arousal, and he tried to breathe as he watched him settle between his legs. Eventually, he had to look up at the ceiling as he knew he wouldn’t be able to handle watching right now. He had to focus on the sensations only.

At first, it felt weird. He had to close his eyes to try and adjust to the feeling. He heard Kurosawa call out to him and shook his head. “I’m fine. I just— Need to get used to it.” Kurosawa reminded him again not to hesitate to stop him, and Adachi nodded mutely, doing his best to relax into the feeling.

Eventually, the discomfort faded, and alright, maybe he could see how it could feel good. When he started moving his hips a little to chase the feeling, Kurosawa added another finger and reached deeper, and Adachi saw stars. 

His fingers gripped the sheets tightly as his back arched against the bed, a string of jumbled syllables escaping his lips in a voice he could barely recognize. When he could breathe again, he realized Kurosawa wasn’t moving anymore - and he really, _really_ wanted him to do _that_ again.

He opened his eyes only to see that Kurosawa had that utterly mesmerized look on his face. He was looking at Adachi as though he was the most beautiful thing in the world - and also very much as though he wanted to devour him on the spot. It was such an intense stare, it was all consuming and it fueled the fire that was coursing through Adachi’s veins. Adachi locked eyes with Kurosawa. “Do that again,” he said, breathless.

Kurosawa blinked, seemingly taken aback. His thoughts were too incoherent to make out, but Adachi definitely felt a rush of pure _heat_ that wasn’t his own when he saw understanding dawn over Kurosawa’s features. Kurosawa bit his lower lip, the corners of his lips twitching into the hint of a teasing smile before he complied to Adachi’s wishes, over and over again.

Soon, there were more fingers relentlessly hitting that spot, and Kurosawa was kissing his neck again, and somehow it felt as though his other hand was absolutely _everywhere,_ leaving burning trails all over Adachi’s skin. Adachi felt like he was about to lose his mind, his fingers buried in Kurosawa’s hair and his body moving on his own to chase more of that feeling. 

Kurosawa’s hand wrapped around him and started stroking, and Adachi felt pleasure tighten sharply in his lower stomach. “Wait— Stop,” he managed to cry out, despite every nerve in his body protesting loudly. Kurosawa stopped immediately, removing both his hands and watching Adachi expectantly. 

Adachi took a few breaths to calm himself down, then looked up at Kurosawa and smiled. Kurosawa’s face immediately brightened, and he gave Adachi one of those soft, calming kisses again. “Sorry,” he breathed against Adachi’s lips. “I got a bit carried away,” he said, his thoughts elaborating on just how _good_ Adachi had looked and sounded to him, and the effect that had had on Kurosawa. Weirdly, hearing those wasn’t as mortifying as Adachi would have assumed - but then again it probably helped that he was turned on out of his mind. “Are you okay?” Kurosawa asked, searching his eyes.

Adachi choked a little at the question because he thought it must have been clear that he felt a lot more than just _okay,_ but he nodded anyway. “I’m fine,” he breathed out, still smiling. “You… That was… I’m fine. But I—” He bit his lip. “I still— I want—” Closing his eyes for a second, Adachi took another deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, the patient, caring look in Kurosawa’ eyes was enough to give him the courage he needed. “I want you.”

Kurosawa visibly swallowed, but then his face lit up and he smiled, so beautiful, so tender and loving that Adachi almost felt himself tear up. Kurosawa leaned down to give him another gentle kiss. _“You don’t know how much those words mean to me,”_ Adachi heard through the magic. Realizing he was about to lose his power, he closed his eyes, allowing all of the love Kurosawa was sharing with him to wash over him, and tried not to think about how he would miss it.

Lost in their shared emotions, he barely heard the sound of a package being torn. He opened his eyes when he felt Kurosawa’s gaze on him. His boyfriend was hovering above him again, seeming almost nervous in spite of his flushed, disheveled look. Adachi smiled up at him and nodded once. Kurosawa’s breath hitched and he rested his forehead against Adachi’s. “I love you so much,” Kurosawa whispered, his thoughts echoing his words as he slowly slid inside.

Adachi closed his eyes, trying to make his body relax again to adjust to the feeling. His arms were tightly wrapped around Kurosawa’s shoulders, and he could feel the way his boyfriend’s body tensed up and shuddered from the restraint. Eventually Kurosawa stopped moving, but Adachi could still feel him tremble in his arms. That was when he realized he could feel a wetness on his face.

Slightly alarmed, Adachi cupped Kurosawa’s face, lifting it slightly so he could see him. Kurosawa’s eyes were filled with tears, but he looked so overwhelmingly happy that it made something burst inside Adachi’s chest. Their magic bond was still intact for now. Adachi could feel it; he could feel Kurosawa’s happiness radiate through him, and suddenly he couldn’t hold back the tears that gathered in his own eyes.

“Thank you,” Adachi whispered, trying to blink away the tears. “Thank you for waiting for me all these years…” He reached out with one hand, brushing away some of the tears running down Kurosawa’s face. “I’m sorry… that I made you wait so long.”

Kurosawa choked, the noise sounding very much like a sob, and he pressed a lingering kiss on Adachi’s forehead. “I would have waited my entire life. You’re worth it, Kiyoshi.”

It was Adachi’s turn to hold back a sob, his hands cradling Kurosawa’s face as he pressed their foreheads together again. “Yu— Yuichi,” he whispered, and he heard Kurosawa’s breath catch at the use of his first name. “Yuichi, I love you.”

Kurosawa kissed him, unrestrained, and Adachi could feel him pour everything he felt into the kiss. They were both crying at this point but it didn’t matter, and Adachi kissed Kurosawa back like his life depended on it. His hands slipped in Kurosawa’s hair, then down to his neck, until his arms were wrapped around his boyfriend’s shoulders again. He pulled Kurosawa closer and closer still. It was like he couldn’t get enough; he needed to _feel_ him more; he needed—

“Move,” Adachi whispered against Kurosawa’s lips, and Kurosawa did.

Coherent thoughts deserted Adachi’s brain. It wasn’t just the physical sensation, the way Kurosawa kept brushing against that spot that made him see stars, or the way his hand had wrapped around him once more and sent waves of pleasure through his body. No, it was so much more. It was the way Kurosawa held him, so carefully yet so tightly. The way Kurosawa kept kissing him, his lips, his forehead, his cheeks, and eventually his neck when Kurosawa buried his face there as he started moving more erratically. It was the way all of his senses were overwhelmed by this one man only.

It was just _them._ Not only tonight, but for the rest of their lives. They had found each other against all odds, and they probably still had a lot to work through - but they would do it _together._

Adachi wasn’t alone anymore. In fact, he hadn’t been alone for a long time. Kurosawa had been there, watching over him all these years, patiently waiting. He could see those memories through the magic, one last time, all those missed moments when he hadn’t understood Kurosawa’s smile or kindness. The painful yearning, as Kurosawa had never let himself hope. 

And then, sheer and absolute _joy._ All of their memories together, and the promise of many, many more to come. 

The visions began to fade as Kurosawa held Adachi even tighter. Maybe it was the magic that was slowly disappearing, or just the way they were both nearing their limits. All Adachi knew was that Kurosawa kept whispering his name between kisses, holding him even tighter as wave after wave of pleasure washed over him relentlessly, threatening to sweep away the last shreds of control he had. 

Part of him didn’t want it to end, wanted to live forever in this moment - entwined together during the last seconds in which he could still _feel_ Kurosawa’s loving thoughts enveloping him. But even if his body were to leave him the choice, Adachi knew he would still have chosen to move forward. The magic was what had helped them find each other, but now he had to trust in himself - and in Kurosawa.

He knew he trusted Kurosawa. Trusting himself might come less easily, but with Kurosawa by his side, it didn’t seem so scary. 

They would be alright. He could let go. 

_“I love you. I’m here,”_ Adachi heard in his mind as Kurosawa shuddered violently above him, and the wave Adachi had been trying to keep at bay finally crashed over him. His body seized, fingers clenching in Kurosawa’s shoulders as his eyes squeezed shut, white lights flashing behind his eyelids. Everything seemed to disappear as he rode on the aftershocks, his awareness filled with Kurosawa, and only Kurosawa.

His heartbeat eventually settled down to something he could handle, and he felt gentle fingers stroking the sides of his face. When he opened his eyes, Kurosawa was still lying above him. His expression was the most relaxed Adachi had ever seen, and his eyes shone brightly as he was gazing adoringly at Adachi. Out of habit, Adachi braced himself for the onslaught of loving thoughts he expected were coming.

But there was only silence.

He blinked, looking away as the realization sunk in. “Are you okay?” Kurosawa asked above him, and Adachi nodded.

“It’s just… quiet,” he said with a small smile. “I knew it would be, but I guess I’m not used to it anymore.”

Kurosawa leaned down to place a sweet kiss on his cheek. “I’ll just have to find other ways to let you know how I feel.”

Adachi chuckled quietly. “Right.” He looked up at his boyfriend and his smile widened. With or without magic, Kurosawa’s eyes still made him feel grounded. Safe. 

He reached out to brush away some of the hair that had fallen in front of Kurosawa’s face, and was thanked with a kiss on the inside of his wrist. Kurosawa placed more gentle kisses along Adachi’s arm, ending with a soft peck on his lips. “Just give me a second,” he said, and carefully moved off of him.

Adachi winced slightly when Kurosawa left the bed, the cold of the room suddenly hitting him. But before he knew it, Kurosawa was back, carrying a towel. He felt himself blush a little when Kurosawa gently cleaned him up, but his boyfriend quickly distracted him with a slow kiss, pulling the comforter over them.

Eventually, Kurosawa broke the kiss and snuggled against Adachi’s side, burying his head in the crook of Adachi’s neck with a soft sigh. It was such a rare display of vulnerability on Kurosawa’s side, it made Adachi’s heart ache. He wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, pulling him close and kissing the top of his head.

“Thank you. For trusting me,” Kurosawa said quietly against Adachi’s skin, and Adachi only tightened his hold around him. 

“Of course I trust you,” he replied softly. Kurosawa’s breath hitched and he buried his face even more in Adachi’s neck. 

Adachi held him like this for a while, his fingers tracing gentle patterns up and down the arm that Kurosawa had wrapped around his waist. Time passed in silence, but it wasn’t as daunting as Adachi had initially feared. Before, his mind was always swirling, caught between his own thoughts and Kurosawa’s. But right now, he felt so comfortable, so complete, that the silence was calming. 

Kurosawa spoke up eventually. “We should probably take a bath if we want to make dinner.”

Adachi groaned quietly. “I’m not sure I feel like moving.”

There was a soft kiss against his neck, then Kurosawa raised his head to look at him. “I’m not letting you skip a meal,” he said, placing another kiss on Adachi’s cheek. “And besides, I still owe you the perfect first date.”

Adachi chuckled and shook his head. “Everywhere we went together was a perfect first date to me… I told you earlier, didn’t I? I’m just happy to be with you. Anywhere.”

Kurosawa rested his forehead against Adachi’s and took a shuddering breath. “If you say such things… You’ll make me cry again.”

“You say those kinds of things all the time though,” Adachi said with a soft laugh, cradling Kurosawa’s face in his hands and kissing him sweetly. “But alright. I’m getting hungry anyway, and I’m a bit curious to see what else you had planned.” 

Kurosawa gave him a bright smile, the slight wetness in his eyes making it somehow even more blinding. “I’ll help you up.”

* * *

“I have to say, when you mentioned taking a bath, I wasn’t expecting _this,”_ Adachi said, slightly awestruck as he settled in the large hot-spring bath on their room’s balcony. The warmth of the water was a stark contrast with the biting cold of the night, and it felt heavenly against his somewhat sore muscles. 

Kurosawa came to sit beside him in the water. “I figured you’d feel better like this. Whether we ended up doing anything or not… I thought you wouldn’t be comfortable if we were to go to a public one together.”

Adachi smiled and ducked his head as Kurosawa had once again seen right through him. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “But… I feel a little bad. You didn’t have to book something so… Well. Just for me.”

Kurosawa grabbed his hand under the water and brought it up to his lips. “For _us,”_ he corrected. “After all, if there were other people around, I wouldn’t be able to do this.” He kissed the back of Adachi’s hand and winked at him.

Adachi chuckled and rolled his eyes fondly. “I guess,” he conceded. He allowed Kurosawa to pull him closer and wrap one arm around his waist, the fingers of his other hand tangling with Adachi’s beneath the surface of the water. He sighed softly and rested his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder, smiling when Kurosawa’s arm tightened around him in response.

“How do you feel?” Kurosawa asked after a few beats of silence.

“Fine. Tired, I guess,” Adachi replied, stifling a yawn. “But don’t worry, I can make it through dinner.”

“That’s not what I was worried about…” Kurosawa trailed off, his voice dropping a little. “You don’t… have any regrets?”

Adachi raised his head to look at him, blinking in confusion at the worried look in his boyfriend’s eyes. “Of course not. Did I give you that impression?”

Kurosawa shook his head. “No, but… Sharing your first time with me, losing your magic. That was a lot. I just—”

Adachi cut him off with a kiss. “I told you, didn’t I? With you by my side, I don’t need the magic.” Kurosawa’s features softened and Adachi smiled at him, slightly sheepish. “As for the other thing, I— I’m glad it was you.” He looked away and bit his lip, the words struggling to come out. But he wanted to say this - Kurosawa deserved to hear it. “You told me… I was worth waiting for. And, well, I mean…” He took a breath and looked back up at his boyfriend. “You were worth it, too.”

Kurosawa stared at him for a few seconds, in the way he always did whenever he seemed to wonder if he was dreaming, then pulled Adachi into a crushing hug. Having expected his boyfriend’s reaction, Adachi let out a soft chuckle and returned Kurosawa’s embrace. “I’m never, ever letting you go,” Kurosawa said against his shoulder, before pulling back to look at Adachi.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Adachi assured him, then leaned forward to kiss him sweetly. They smiled at each other, and Adachi shifted to rest his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder once more. Both of Kurosawa’s arms remained securely around him. Adachi relaxed in the embrace, feeling Kurosawa’s cheek resting against the top of his head, and he looked up at the sky.

It was still a bit too early to see stars, but the moon was out already, almost full and shining brightly above them. Silence settled upon them once again, a silence that Adachi was going to have to get used to. But just like earlier, it didn’t feel scary. Sure, he wouldn’t be able to easily figure out what Kurosawa was thinking… But that hadn’t been fair to him to begin with. Besides, communication would only help them understand each other better, and bring them closer.

Adachi knew he would likely miss it sometimes. If only because, even though it had sometimes been overwhelming, witnessing Kurosawa’s feelings for him had helped him grow. Then again, in moments like these, he probably didn’t need to hear Kurosawa’s thoughts to know how he felt. All Adachi needed was one touch, one smile, or one look from Kurosawa to be reminded of his boyfriend’s feelings.

Right now, the simple fact that they could just _be_ together, enjoying the moment quietly, was enough to make him feel warm, safe, and loved. 

And maybe that, in the end, was the real magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you'd like to see [what the rooms look like at their hotel...](https://www.oyado-tamaki.com/language/en/room/index.html) I am not 100% settled on which one I want them to have, but at least I know it's one of those that have a western-style area because I needed beds to be ready^^ And of course, I needed a private open-air onsen for them. (So, I guess the Katsura room, but with the onsen from like Yuzuriha or Asunaro because I like those better lol)  
> (And yes those rooms are for like 8 people because you can add futons too, who cares, Kurosawa wanted the private bath so he booked a giant room for them - also that's why there were two beds, in case that seemed weird)
> 
> Anyway, thank you so much for sticking with me through this story!! I think this was the sappiest story I have ever written - I blame Kurosawa and Adachi for melting my brain (and heart). 
> 
> Honestly though, I hope my love for CM and kurodachi will stay this strong for a while, because I'd love to write more. It's just so uplifting to think about them, you know? Maybe I'll make this into a series and add some glimpses of their relationship, or explore other headcanons... I'll see what my brain comes up with! But let me know if there's anything you'd like to see, maybe it'll spark inspiration, we never know ;)
> 
> Take care, and thank you again :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Don't hesitate to let me know what you thought :)


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